


Worlds Intertwined

by Ath3na_Shadow



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (TV), The Secret Circle (TV)
Genre: Crossover, Drama & Romance, F/M, Gen, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-26
Updated: 2014-12-07
Packaged: 2017-12-30 11:57:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 72,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1018330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ath3na_Shadow/pseuds/Ath3na_Shadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The White Rabbit had picked the wrong girl, but when Alessia Blackwell is sucked into a portal she finds herself with a different White Rabbit in the world of Wonderland. Having left her friend during a crucial time the witch has to help Alice and Will Scarlet, the Knave of Hearts, with Alice's quest to find her lover, while trying to find a way back to her friends in Neverland. And prayed that the darkness dwelling inside her doesn't consume her and turn her evil.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I will try to update every week after the episode, but don't hold me to it. :) I hope I do these characters justice as this the first time I'm writing these characters. Please let me know what you guys think.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that you all recognize, they all belong to their own creators.

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 1**

Alessia Blackwell scold at the two people standing before her, not able to believe her luck. She was minding her own business, helping her good friend, Emma Swan, in getting her son back in Neverland when a white rabbit wearing a waist coat, pants, and glasses showed up. Before Alessia knew what was going on the rabbit had made a portal on the ground that sucked her in, their group trying to help her from being pulled in. Emma had a good grip on her as she had a good grip on Hook with her other hand, with Charming and Snow holding on to their daughter while the evil queen held on to Hook. But unfortunately it didn’t work. Alessia was sucked in, twirling around and around, even upside down until she hit the ground hard.

After groaning and complaining she stood up, dusting her jeans and leather jacket, before staring at a large cat attacking a girl. Right away Alessia took out her gun and shot the cat, who cried out and turning to her before seeing the weapon in her hand. It growled at her before disappearing, Alessia holding her gun out just in case it decided to reappear. A man came running towards her and the girl, the two people frowning at her as they wondered, no doubt, where she had come from. One of them she knew right away who he was, having met him and all before in _Storybrooke_ , while the other girl she didn’t know–though she had a good idea of who she might be.

From what Alessia could tell they were in a forest, one she had only read in books and seen in the movies. She put the safety on the gun before returning it back to its holstered, shoving a hand through her black hair. Of all the things to happen when they were trying to rescue Henry, Alessia had to go and get sucked in to another world with no possible of getting back. With her hand still in her hair Alessia glared good naturally at the man before looking over at the girl who looked no older than seventeen.

She raised an eyebrow, “What’s up with your get-up? Escape from the loony bin?”

The girl frowned, watching Alessia continue to look around, the man laughing. “I do not understand.”

“She actually did escape not too long ago.” the man told Alessia, walking forward. “How you doing love? How’d you get here?”

“A damn crazed rabbit opened a portal while we were in Neverland. Unfortunately I got sucked in.” Alessia replied, watching the man come closer to her.

“Neverland? What bloody hell kind of name–”

Alessia punched him once he was close enough, the man crying out as he fell to the floor. She glared at him, as he stared at her wide eyes full of disbelief, a hand touching his cheek. Then he glared at her, holding out his arms as soon as he sat up. He knew that they have met a few times in the other world, but he didn’t think any of their meets had ended up with the woman hating him enough to punch him.

“What the bloody hell was that for?” he yelled angrily.

“Stealing my keys to the jail cells, asshole!” she yelled back, pointing a finger at him. “Did you really think I would forget, Will? Are you really that stupid or just smug?”

Will, the Knave of Hearts, shrugged before jumping up to his feet, dusting his pants. “Okay, I guess I deserved that punch.” he pointed a finger at her, “But don’t make a habit out of it.”

Alessia raises an eyebrow at him, “Then don’t make a habit of pissing me off.”

The girl shook her head in confusion. “How do you two know each other and what kind of weapon do you **_have_**?”

“We met in a small town where I’m a deputy and this is a gun.” Alessia told her, seeing the confused frown on the girl’s face. “A Bobbie?”

The girl looked almost horrified. “But a woman cannot be a Bobbie! That is unheard of!”

“In the nineteen century perhaps, but in the twenty-first century women can be what men had dominated for years.” the girl’s eyes widen at the year, “Why do you think we’re dressed so differently Alice?”

“But how is that possible? There is–wait, how do you know my name?”

Alessia sighs, popping her neck to relieve the tension. “Because I know your story well, Alice Kingsleigh. Every mortal outside of _Storybrooke_ knows the tale of a girl, as a child and a young woman, falls down the rabbit hole and has the adventure of the lifetime.”

Alice frowns, “What do you mean by mortal?”

“I mean, Alice,” Alessia begins, looking to Will, who nods to her right and she begins to walk, the other two walking behind. “The non-fairytale characters. You and the other fairytales live in separate worlds–even your dear 1800 England. Stories are told about many adventures, but that’s all they are, **_stories_**. Nothing but what the writers have formed from their mind on to the paper.”

“You speak as though you are not a…mortal,” Alice asked, testing out the word, taking Alessia’s arm and stopping.

The older woman held up her hand, palm up, and had water appearing out of thin air. “A witch, my dear. **_I am a witch_**.”

Dropping both her hand and her power she continued, Will encouraging Alice to walk after her, knowing that she can trust the woman with magic. Will walked in sync with the woman, Alessia mentally rolling her eyes, her annoyance for the Knaves of hearts rolling off of her. He was a terrible flirt and just how smug he portrayed himself annoys her to no end. And for her to be sent to a world where she was going to be stuck with Will just added on the annoyance on top of all the other stress and worry in her life.

“So, the white rabbit showed up at this…Neverland and opened a portal?” Will asked confused.

Alessia frowned, “Yeah, kept going on about if I was **_the_** Alice.” she shook her head, “Emma was saying my name when he appeared. Since saying my name is similar **_to_** Alice the rabbit thought my name was Alice and then opened the portal.”

Will makes a face, nodding in agreement. “True, your name is very close to Alice, but still if you knew the truth why the bloody hell did you jump into the portal?”

Alessia shook her head, “That’s the thing, **_I didn’t_**. We were going to move around the portal when it started to suck me in. Both Emma and Hook had to take hold of me, and then Charming and Snow and Regina holding on to **_them_**!”

“But you were still sucked in,” Will said with confusion.

Alessia nods, “Yeah, which was really weird since it was the white rabbit that made the portal, not a magic bean or dark magic or nothing.” she than looked towards Will with a frown, asking suspiciously, “What the hell is going on anyways? Why are you here?”

Will frowned, “The white rabbit asked me to help Alice find Cyrus.” Alessia raised an eyebrow. “The genie she fell in love and freed on her last day in Wonderland?”

Alessia sighs, “There’s too many stories past the original stories we know that not that many are known to mortals **_or_** fairy tale characters.” she tells him with irritation. “Why has he been missing?”

“He was thought to be dead, actually. It was the white rabbit who said Cyrus was alive.”

The woman frowned, Alice suddenly running pass them as she yelled about the Hatter’s home being close by. Trouble was always brewing in the fairy tale world and Alessia was actually starting to get annoyed with all the drama. She had enough of it with her family, she didn’t want to continue it with her good friend and this new world that she was trying to make a life out of for herself.

“Something’s going on.” she shook her head, “I don’t trust that rabbit.”

Will nods and they both ran after the teen, hoping she won’t get into more trouble again. Alessia slows to a walk as Jefferson’s home came into view, and wondered if he left **_any_** sort of magic behind for her to get back. Will was calling after Alice, who wasn’t listening. She ran inside, Alessia looking around carefully, a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She entered the house, vaguely hearing Will and Alice talking as she felt around for any type of magic. It was then a new voice rose up, Alessia turning sharply with annoyance.

Immediately water wrapped around the white rabbit, rising as Alessia angrily moved forward. He stopped rising and was turned to face the woman, being eye level with her. However Alessia stopped, frowning in confusion at the animal before her.

“ ** _You’re_** the white rabbit?”

“Ye-ye-yes!” the white rabbit coward, whimpering.

“Alessia?” Will questioned curiously.

Alessia dropped her magic, rubbing her temple as her headache intensified. “That’s not the white rabbit who appeared in Neverland. What the **_hell_** is going on?”

Will shook his head and started questioning the white rabbit about Cyrus instead. When the mood of excitement changed to despair Alessia started to look around for that magic to take her to Neverland. She took a large dark green top hat with a purple sash and a card that said _‘In this style 10/6’_ in beautiful flowing cursive stuck on the right side of the sash. Flipping the hat in her hands Alessia flipped it on to her head, walking behind the white rabbit as Will scolded him.

“You made her lose Cyrus twice, why would you do that?”

“Yes,” Alessia takes hold of the white rabbit’s ears and holding him up to eye level. “Why **_would_** you do that? What do you have up your sleeve, **_rabbit_**?”

The rabbit whined, cowering once again when Alice yelled out for them–actually she yelled for the white rabbit and Will since Alice didn’t know her name. Alessia dropped the rabbit on the floor and rushed out the door behind Will, seeing Alice turning to them, holding something glowing red in her cupped hands.

“I found this.” she says, looking down at the object in her hands before looking up at them, “It was Cyrus’.”

The white rabbit eyes widen as he walked around the two humans. “Where did you get that?”

“It was just here in the grass.” Alice tells him, pointing to the grass.

“He’s alive.” the white rabbit states with disbelief, “Nothing can survive the boiling sea. If it survived so did he.”

Will shook his head sadly, “Alice, that necklace is magic. **_That’s why it survived_**. The guy wearing it he was just flesh and blood, he’s gone. I’m sorry.” he sighs, looking at the girl with sad eyes, “Alice, get out of here, the rabbit can dig his hole. Make a new life, meet somebody else.”

“No,” Alice said quickly.

Will was taken aback, “No?”

“I’m not going.”

“Alice this isn’t the time to be stubborn!” Will argued, annoyed.

“I’m not being stubborn!” Alice argued back.

“Yes you are!”

Alessia raised an eyebrow, smirking as she was liking the girl more and more. Plus, anyone else to piss off Will earned a point in her books. Then again **_anyone_** can piss him off as he was easily to tick off.

Alice shook her head, “If you want to leave, **_leave_**. But I’m staying.”

Will looked at her with disbelief, “Because of the necklace?”

“Because he’s **_here_**.”

“But you have no proof!”

Alice shook her head, this time looking at Will with sadness. “When you really love someone you **_don’t_** need proof. You can **_feel it_**. He’s **_here_** , and I’m going to find him. The only question is are you coming with me?”

“I was afraid you were going to ask me that.” Will said with a grimace.

Alice grinned, “Is that a yes?”

Will groans, “Oh, **_bloody hell_**. Come on then.”

Alessia laughed, slapping a hand on Will’s shoulder. “Way to go in digging your feet.”

Will merely gave her a look as they all started walking in a direction, Alice placing the necklace over her head. Alessia walks next to the girl, watching as the forest started to thin out and nothing but green grass and tree being stretched out for miles, as twisted and weird lands spouting out water in one distance, with smaller islands floating up in the sky. They were walking a path towards the rising sun as the moon and darkness was being left behind. Alessia actually wondered if Wonderland was split between the light and darkness like the story Tweedledee and Tweedledum tells the _Disney_ version of _The Walrus and the Carpenter_.

“What is your name, anyways?” Alice suddenly asked.

“Still curious, I see.” Alessia grinned, tilting her head at the girl before looking forward. “The name’s Alessia Blackwell.”

“Nice too meet you, Alessia.” Alice hums, “Your name is almost similar to mine.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Alessia mutters, looking up at the girl as she was a few inches taller than her. “Now how about we try to find some clothes for you?”

Alice laughs, “Yeah, that actually will be great.”

 

**5**

 

The three travelers walked as far as they can until they were within another set of woods, which creaked and moaned while following them. Or more importantly followed Alessia. Underneath a fairly large tree they decided to sleep there, all of them sitting down exhausted. Alessia looked at the open ground between them and so waved a hand, a fire appearing out of nowhere. Both Will and Alice looked towards her but Alessia closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the tree, sleep slowly taking her.

“How many powers do you have?” Alice asked curiously.

Alessia exhaled quietly. “Curiosity killed the cat,” she sing-songed.

Will snorted as Alice rolled her eyes. “Yes, but a cat **_does_** have nine lives.”

Rolling her eyes open the witch looks towards Alice who was watching her curiously. “I’m a witch that was born with the elements. A very rare case that only happens every millennium on a blue moon.”

“Blue moons do not really happen in our world.” Alice interrupted, frowning.

“No,” Alessia chuckles. “The blue moon is actually when two full moons appear in the same month.” she smirked, “Hence the expression, ‘Once in a blue moon.’ When a witch is born on the second moon she or he is granted full powers of all the elements.” Alessia shrugs, closing her eyes once again. “I happened to have been born on such a night.”

Alice continues to frown, staring at the older woman. “So…you are powerful?”

“In the sense of all the other witches of my kind, yes, I am.” Alessia sighs, opening her eyes to stare at the stars pass the trees. “But that also makes me dangerous.”

“How so?” Will asked confused.

“I have darkness flowing through my blood. If it wasn’t for Emma I would have gone to the dark side and used my powers for evil rather than good. It’s why I need to get back to her as soon as possible.” she closed her eyes once again, “But I think I’m safe for now, thanks to Alice’s ignorant innocence.”

She heard Alice huff and Will stifling his laugh before Alessia had enough sense to let her guard down and sleep. The white rabbit leaned against the same tree as the witch, taking in the information he has heard and filing it away. He hated what he was doing, but to be able to save those who he loved he needed to. He knew better, oh the white rabbit knew better to trust the Red Queen, but he had no choice. No, he continued to tell himself, he had no choice.

The white rabbit perked his ears when he heard Alessia begin to mutter underneath her breath, straining to hear what she was saying. Suddenly he slumped against the tree, falling asleep quickly as all thoughts and what he has heard erased from his mind. Alessia opened her eyes and looked to the rabbit with a suspicious frown. The spell was to erase all memories from anyone pass Will and Alice of what they heard about her powers and the darkness inside. If anyone found out about that darkness there is no telling of her ever getting back to the light.


	2. Chapter 2

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 2**

Alessia sighs awake, looking up to see Alice looking at a cart that a horse was attached to. She raised an eyebrow and went to get up only to stop when she noticed an arm wrapped around her waist. Frowning Alessia wondered how she and Will had ended up sleeping next to each other before slowly moving out of his arms. She shook her head and walked over to Alice, who smiled, putting on a dark purple vest over the light purple tunic. Alessia noticed that the younger girl had already put on some black leggings and boots. The tunic had actually fallen to her knees, making it look more like a short dress of sorts.

Her hair was also down in three braids over her head to connect as one in the back, Alessia thinking she should pushed her own hair back as well to keep a better eye out on things. Alessia shook her head and looked over the clothes, fingering a pair of dark green vest and tunic to match. She grinned, it made her think about Oliver Queen in the new show, _Arrow_ –which Alessia hated to think that she’s missed a few episodes already. Her grin became a smirk, it may be ironic but Alessia wouldn’t mind falling through a portal into **_that_** world. Oh, she would have so much fun, and be completely a fangirl should they be real as well.

“They’re free,” Alice tells her, looking into the cart and brining out a sheathe sword and dagger out.

Humming Alessia took them, along with a pair of black leather pants, and a pair of boots. She saw a bag and took that as well, stuffing the new outfit inside for later use. That’s when she saw that the bag held several daggers as well. Looking at her shoes Alessia switched them out with the boots, sticking two of the six daggers inside them. She wrapped two of the sheathe daggers around her thigh than the last two inside her pants in the back, covering them with her dark gray tank top and black leather jacket.

Alice than let loose the clotheshorse before unsheathing her sword. Alessia watched as the younger girl twirls the sword in hand before thrusting and pairing with the tree before her, cutting the branches. The sun was starting to rise, Alessia walking towards one of the giant mushrooms, the texture actually soft to the touch. She had always loved the thought to have come to Wonderland when she was a child, and more as a teenager, but not when she was needed the most.

Will suddenly cried out, Alessia turning to see that he was woken up by a broken branch by Alice and her sword, grinning. Alessia looked down the path they will be continuing, seeing anything out of the ordinary…well ordinary to Wonderland. She smirked at hearing them talk, Alice continuing to practice against the tree. Pushing the hat back with a forefinger so she can see better, Alessia pushed her powers forward to make sure nothing was waiting for them in hiding. When nothing came back to her Alessia was satisfied and walked back to the two characters of that world.

“I have a plan, Knave.” Alice tells him as she helps him stand.

Will stretches out his arms, looking over Alice with a raised eyebrow. “And a new outfit, where’d you get that?”

Alice looks back at Will, then down at her outfit. “The clotheshorse came by.”

“Of course it did,” Will said with a face, Alessia snickering.

“Our biggest problem is that we don’t know where Cyrus is. He could be trapped somewhere or, or captured.” Alice continued as she didn’t hear Will, walking pass him.

“Look, is there by any chance a coffeehorse stopping by, I can’t really–” Will starts to question, moving forward and dusting off his butt after sleeping on the ground.

Alice, however, continues on, turning back to Will and Alessia. “But then I realized that we don’t need to know where he is.”

“Oh, we don’t.” Will asked, watching Alice pacing.

“Because we know something, something that nobody else does. We know where the bottle is hidden.”

“I’m not sure you’re clear on the word ‘we’ means.” Will tells her, Alice seeming to continue to ignore him.

Alessia shakes her head and sits down on a mushroom, enjoying the scene before her. She thought that she got enough enjoyment from watching the good and bad fighting with each other in order to save Henry, but Alice and Will actually took the cake. Plus Alice seems thoroughly to ignore her–or, at least, forget about her for the time being–and can’t wait to see what the younger girl will need her once she remembers.

“It’s a two-step plan. Step one, we find the bottle. Step two, we make three harmless wishes and no matter where he is he’ll just get drawn back inside.”

“I thought you said there’s no such thing as harmless wishes?”

“True,” Alice tells him, turning back to continue her pacing. “That is if you wish for something big. But if you wish for something small and innocent, like a cupcake, it should be fine. Which, um, brings us to you.” she said with a stop and looking up at Will.

“Here it comes,” Will said with despair.

“You’ll rub the bottle and Cyrus will re-appear and we’ll be together again. And we’ll figure out a way to truly free him once and for all.”

“Um, Alice, once I rub the bottle doesn’t that make Cyrus **_my_** genie?” Will said with uncertainty.

Alice gives him a stern look, taking a step forward. “I guess I’ll just have to trust you.”

Will stares at her before nodding, “Right then, where do we find this bottle?”

“We buried it in the _Mimsy Meadow_ , under the _Towering TumTum_ tree. It’s a place where nobody goes.”

Will sighs, rolling his eyes as he looked forward before looking at Alice. “With a name like that why would they? Unless they were a Care Bear.”

Alessia begins to laugh, falling off the mushroom. Truth be told, anything in Wonderland sounds like something a Care Bear would visit or live. However, to hear it from Will, a make-believe character that should have never been real, sounded too hilarious in her ears. Actually, anything the make-believe characters say in modern terms was hilarious to her.

Alice frowns with confusion, wondering what was so funny. “What’s a Care Bear?”

“Never mind.” Will mutters, looking down at the floor.

He couldn’t believe that he had said that out loud. He looked over to the laughing woman on the floor and walked towards her, shaking his head. He took hold of her hands and helped her stand, Alessia not able to help but lean against him, still laughing. Will shook his head and pushed the hat she kept back so that she was able to see.

“I can’t breathe,” she gasped to him, holding on to her side as Will smirking. “I can’t breathe!”

“You wanna wake him or should I?” Will asked Alice about the snoring white rabbit by the tree.

Alice, sheathing her sword, turns to the feet of the white rabbit, the only thing visible, before looking at the two older adults. “Leave him be, poor rabbit’s been through enough.”

“Which is Alice speak for he’s slowing us down,” Will states, continuing to hold on to Alessia as her laugh finally started to subside.

“Come on Knave, Alessia, time to get the bottle.” Alice grabs the glowing pendant, smiling at them. “Time to get Cyrus.”

Alessia takes a deep breath, following after Alice and getting out of Will’s arm. “Oh, I never get tired of any of you characters saying something modern!” she shook her head, tilting her head to a smiling Will. “ ** _Care Bears_**? That was genius **_and_** appropriate!”

Will shrugs, grinning. “Eh, what can I say? These things just come to me.”

Alessia snorts, but not able to stop from smiling. “I can’t wait to tell Emma this story!”

“Okay, Sia, seriously,” Will started, using the nickname he’s heard Emma used before. “What the **_bloody hell_** is up with the hat?”

 

**5**

 

Alessia took the rear as soon as Alice took them into a dense forest, the paved path now turned into dirt. She didn’t mind the younger woman hacking away at the front of them, but evil **_always_** lurked in the back, and it’s something that she’s dealt with the hard way. Remembering the past took her immediately to Emma, knowing that she needed to remember that past. The darkness inside her was strong in Wonderland, she noticed, and Alessia wished desperately for the rabbit to dig a hole to Neverland, to the safe side of Emma who was the only one to have helped keep the darkness at bay

“Keep up, would you? We’re making good time. If we keep it at this pace we’ll arrive at _Mimsy Meadow_ before midday” Alice tells Will, who was actually having trouble pushing through the trees.

“You may want to lower your voice, the walls in this place have ears– ** _literally_**. There are walls with actual ears.” Will tells her with a look of disgust, and concern. “You don’t want all of Wonderland to know where we’re going.”

Alice sighs, the rolling of her eyes in her voice. “Of course not.”

“You’re thinking about what happens if we find him?” Will asked, ignoring her tone of voice.

“ ** _When_**.”

It was Alessia’s turn to roll her eyes as Will continued, “ ** _When_** we find him. What if it’s nothing like you thought?”

Alice stops and turns to Will, “ ** _Meaning_**?”

“Uh,” Will stutters before sighing and going right to the point. “Well I just think to protect yourself you should consider the possibility that things may be different. You’ve been gone a long time.”

Alessia looks around them carefully, keeping her hands and mind sharp in case something comes out to attack them. Though she didn’t agree with how Alice was going about getting the genie the wrong way. Emotions, although great in certain situations, this early in trying to get the genie back was not going to end well.

Alice shook her head, “Cyrus is waiting for me. He needs me.”

“Then why hasn’t he contacted you? If you know where he is, surely he knows where you are too.” Will countered.

“The only reason he hasn’t contacted me is because he must be in trouble. That’s why we have to pick up the pace.” Alice continued to argue.

Will raised his eyebrows, “Or he’s moved on”

“Not a chance.” Alice said quickly, “What Cyrus and I have,” she scoffed, looking at Will up and down. “Well, you wouldn’t understand.”

Will’s jaw twitched, before answering, watching Alice walking away. “No I suppose I wouldn’t.”

“Nothing will get in the way of us being together.” Alice burst out of the trees and stopped, staring at a large body of water. “Except possibly this.”

Will and Alessia stopped on either side of the younger woman, staring at the water. The witch felt her hand twitch, making her fist them. There was some power hidden at the edge of the beach before them and it beckoned the darkness inside her.

“I suppose we could swim across.” Alice commented nonchalant.

“No, we can’t.” Will said quickly.

Alice looks to him with a glare, “If you’re afraid of dangers lurking beneath the surface, I can handle–”

Will interrupts her, squeaking out, “I can’t swim.”

Alice looked at him surprised, her jaw almost falling at the confession. “How have you lived your whole life and never–”

“I was doing other things.” Will continued to interrupt, wanting to get off the subject.

“Like what?”

Will turns to her annoyed. “Like being afraid of water, **_Alice_**!”

Alice exhales in irritation, looking back at the water. “Fine. We’ll just have to wait for the ferry.”

Will’s eyes widen at that, “Or, better idea, we walk…we walk around it.” he decides with a stutter, nodding.

Alice stares at him as though he was crazy, “Walk around the entire thing? That would take two days at least! We’re taking the ferry!” she tells him with finality, shaking her head as she walks down to the beach.

Alessia raises an eyebrow as Alice begins to clap, only to suddenly stop and turn back to Will, giving him a look. He ushered the witch to follow and they all begin to clap until a blue sparkle appears and flies towards them. Alessia raises an eyebrow, all this very new to her. Apparently when Alice said ferry she meant **_fairy_**. She went to say something when she saw the cringing look Will had and wondered what it was that he was thinking. Was taking a fairy that bad? Will it be safe for them?

“There she is,” Alice said with a smile.

Once the fairy came close enough they stopped clapping, Alice waiving to the fairy. It then became larger, just an inch shy of Alessia. She giggle to herself, smiling to both Alice and Alessia, though the older woman saw how Will exhaled with dread and readiness. Something was **_definitely_** going on and Alessia would bet on her magic that it had to do with the fairy that appeared before us.

“I am the fairy, Silvermist. Where may I…I…”

The look on the fairy’s face told everything to Alessia, and knew that this was not going to end well at all. It was actually the same scenario that happened back in _Chance Harbor_ with Jake Armstrong and Faye Chamberlain. Thinking back to the stupid town Alessia’s thoughts went to her half-sisters and wondered how they were doing. She and Cassie Blake-Blackwell got along well with each other as Alessia helped protect her from any dangers her mother, Amelia, was hiding from.

Oh, Amelia was not happy to have seen her, let alone having found them. But Alessia had promised her that she would protect her sister from the forces of evil witches and her father. To make sure that the darkness in their veins does not consume her like it has done with all the witches in their family. But when their father came to _Chance Harbor_ to retrieve the Balcoin Medallion Alessia knew it was time for her to take her leave. She didn’t mean to leave her sisters there, but their father was too powerful and it scared her that she would never return back from the darkness.

Alessia’s dark thoughts were snapped by Will’s voice and a harsh slap.

“Hi-ya Silv,” Will says before Silvermist slaps him hard, Alice gasping in surprise. “How’s it going?” she slaps again, this time harder. “There it is.”

“You piss off a **_lot_** of women, don’t you?” Alessia muttered, her own eyebrow raised.

“I take it that you two kno-know each other?” Alice asked quietly, her voice stuttering slightly.

Silvermist clenched her jaw, glaring at Will. “Awfully bold of you to show your face in Wonderland. Do you know how many people are looking for you?”

“Might be easier how to figure out how many **_aren’t_**.” Will countered, obviously to Alessia how uncomfortable he was with Silvermist.

“You think you’re funny?”

“I think I’m bogger no matter what I say now.”

Alice eyebrows raised to her hairline, trying hard not to comment on the situation. “Perhaps you two might reminiscing while we make our way across the lake?”

“I think we might have to walk” Will whispered, leaning towards Alice a bit.

Alice glares at Will, not able to believe this was happening when Silvermist turned to her sharply. “Not all, I’m happy to take you.”

“The three of us, are you sure?” Alice asked surprised, looking back at the fairy.

“Of course. It’s my job, and I’m a professional. I don’t let feelings get in the way of my work, especially **_old_** feelings–” Silvermist glares slightly to Will before looking back at Alice. “–that I have completely **_moved on from_**.” she tells them, forcing the smile to stay put on her lips.

Will makes a face, almost snorting, as he looks away from Silvermist. Alice, however, is just glad that the fairy hasn’t changed her mind in helping them and trying to get across wasn’t going to take as long. Especially after wasting enough time as it was, in her mind.

“Okay, thank you very much.” Alice tells the fairy in earnest.

Silver mist nods, holding her smile. Alice realize what was going on and forces her own smile as she punches Will, Alessia smirking with amusement. “Yeah, thank you very much.” Will replies sarcastically.

“Excellent. Well, then we need to get to the _TumTum_ tree in _Mimsy Meadow_ ” Will sharply turns his head to Alice, giving her a look. “ ** _What_**? I need to tell **_her_** where we’re going.”

“Don’t worry, you can **_trust me_**. I’m here to help.”

Silvermist tells them before she waved her wand over them, blue sparkling mist circling them before she became small. Silvermist begins to fly up, the three companions flying after her by the pull of the fairy’s magic. Alessia didn’t look down, her fear of heights taking a hold of her. At least, however, they were over water rather than something that can harm them. She knew if she or the other two fell she can control the water to save them–and not hurt as bad.


	3. Chapter 3

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 3**

“I must admit,” Will begins as they were now half way across the lake. “I do enjoy the flying.”

Silvermist rolls her eyes, not looking back. “You always did.”

“For what it’s worth, Silv,” Will whispers, “I enjoyed some of the other bits as well.”

Silvermist glowers as she sets her jaw even harder, stopping the three companions in mid-air, before flying off a bit before she turns to them, glaring at Will. “Not **_nearly_** as much I’m going to enjoy **_this_**.”

She waves her wand at Will, who then begins to fall towards the water, yelling. Alice gasps as she stares down at him as Alessia groans. She makes herself fall as well, but makes sure that a pedestal was formed under her as Will falls into the water. She vaguely heard Silvermist and Alice talking, making Alessia look up. She sees Alice falling as well and shoots up another water jet to catch her and bring her down to her and Will’s eyelevel.

“Well,” Alessia starts, glaring towards Will. “That was fun.”

“Bloody hell, why did you let **_me_** fall?” Will yelled, glowering at the witch.

She moves them towards a rock, all of them setting their feet on top of it, the water falling beneath them. Alessia sighs and sits down, as did Alice and Will, the Knave of Hearts panting of what had come to happen, shivering in his seat. Alice leans on her knees and glares at Will, as though this was all his fault. Which, actually, kind of was.

“What did you do to that fairy?” Alice questioned angrily.

Will looks at her incredulously, saying angrily, “What did **_I do_**? **_She_** just tossed me into the bloody lake! Thank God for Alessia’s powers, I would have drowned!”

“ ** _Which you clearly deserved_**!” Alice argues back. “ ** _Now_** we’re stuck, in the middle of nowhere **_all_** because you broke a fairy’s heart.”

“Well, she shouldn’t have given it away in the first place!” Will states with disdain.

Alice shakes her head, “People can’t help falling in love, Will.”

Will glares back at Alice, “Sure they can. You just sneak out, in the middle of the night, grab your trousers, your keys, and don’t **_ever_** look back!”

“How did you get this way?” Alice asked concerned, “Who did this to you?”

“This isn’t about me, Alice. If it were I’d be sat back at home, happy watching the telly.” Alice frowns, Will shaking his head, “Don’t ask.”

Will looks down, trying to get his bearings straight as Alessia suddenly stands up and looks at the rock they were standing on. There was something different about it, but she couldn’t place what it was. It wasn’t magical, she was sure, but it felt… ** _alive_**. Which was strange as nothing outside something breathing can be alive. Then again they **_were_** in Wonderland, after all.

“Look, all I’m trying to tell you is you got this picture of Cyrus in your mind,” Will tells her, the both of them ignoring Alessia for the time being. “These **_perfect_** little memories of how things were. But maybe that’s just how they were for ** _you_**.”

“It wasn’t like that.” Alice whispered, not wanting to believe it. “And if you really believe that, what are you doing here?”

“This is **_your_** quest, Alice, **_not_** mine. I’m in it for the wish. Just like everybody else looking for a genie.”

Alice exhales sharply, shaking her head, and glaring at Will, before looking down, knowing in her heart that it was the truth that he told. Alessia turned in a circle, continuing to frown, as she noted all the dried plants and old fossils on the side. Both Will and Alice looked up at her as they finally realized that she hadn’t sat down. Alessia kneels, hovering her hands over the surface, letting magic flow down and then back up.

“What are you doing?” Alice asked confused.

“This isn’t a rock or an island.” Alessia finally said with a grin, quickly getting to her feet.

“Then what is it?” Will asked this time.

Alessia continued to grin, looking at the two fairy tale creatures, “You both might want to hang on to something.”

She moved towards the front of the rock, Will calling after her, “Hang on to **_what_**?”

Alessia closed her eyes, her hands out in front of her, feeling the water moving under her command. Taking a deep breath she turns her hands, palm up, and snapped open her eyes, shoving her hands up. Water shot up all in different sides as a large head was pushed up from the water. The witch grinned, letting the water go and hovered a hand over the head, the yellow eyes of the creature turning red.

“A turtle?” Will and Alice asked, both laughing.

Alessia threw her hand forward, the turtle starting to trend through the water. Although they were miles away from the shore, at the rate the turtle was swimming they would get to there in less than ten minutes than the half hour it would have taken if they were to swim or use her powers. But she also knew that this was going to take a toll on her and her powers. If it would help them get closer to where they needed to go, then so be it. Like Will said, with everyone looking for a genie they only want a wish. If Alice is able to use a wish to take her back to Neverland, then so be it.

They finally reached the shore and the trio walked off the turtle’s head, Alessia turning towards it. She waved her hand over it, the turtle’s eyes turning back to its yellow colors. It growled at her before turning its back on the witch, who only rolled her eyes at it before turning to see Alice walking away from the water as Will leans on his knees, panting.

Alice frowns and turns, raising an eyebrow at Will. “What are you waiting for?”

“I was nearly drowned and eaten by a mock turtle!” Will complained, walking closer to Alice, Alessia not far behind. “Can’t I have a moment?”

“Nope,” a familiar female voice said.

Alessia stood next to Will as Silvermist reappears before them. Will glowers at her, Alessia feeling the tension roll off of him. Oh, what other trouble well come their way, now that her powers were very low and can’t be used until they’re recharged again.

“ ** _You_** again?” Will muttered darkly.

Silvermist mocked smile at him, “I’m actually glad to see you alive, Knave.”

“That’s **_strange_** , since you’re the one that tried to kill me.”

“That was **_before_** I heard about the bounty on your head. Turns out you’re in pretty deep to the caterpillar.”

Will reels back his annoyance, not wanting to piss the fairy off any more than she was already. “Okay, look, I made a horrible mistake.” Silvermist frowns at him, tilting her head to the side at his confession, “The thing is, you were right about everything. I felt **_bloody_** awful after what happened between us.”

“If you **_ever_** had a heart, I don’t know what happened to it.” Will looks to Alice, who closes her eyes, trying not to smile at the notion that he did, **_indeed_** , have his heart back. “But then again maybe your **_precious_** Anastasia used it all up.”

Alice frowns in confusion as Will literally turns ice cold and looks down at the ground. He knew the past would have come up, eventually, but he had hoped that it would have been a long while until it did. It was also another reason why Will hated to be back in Wonderland. Alessia merely stayed quiet, knowing full well that everyone had a past, but she wondered of Will’s. As far as she remembered there was no Anastasia in Wonderland. Then again there was only titles, never actual names.

“You’re right, I don’t feel terrible. Not even a **_little_** bit. But that’s because I don’t feel much about anything anymore. So why don’t we both agree that I’m a **_rat bastard_** and go our separate ways? We don’t need to bring the caterpillar into this.”

Silvermist glares at him, “Why should I care about your fate?”

“You shouldn’t, but care about hers,” Will bits off, pointing at a surprised Alice, Silvermist looking towards her as well. “She’s a **_decent_** person, and so is the man she loves. Whose life is **_literally_** hanging on the balance as we speak; don’t make the good guys pay for the bad guy’s mistake. I am sorry, Silvermist, for everything.”

Silvermist, like Alessia and Alice, saw how genuine Will was this time. Yes, of course, before Will was trying not to let the fairy take him to the caterpillar for the bounty, but when she brought up Anastasia it all changed for him. This woman, whoever she was, did a real number on Will. Even with him apologizing to the fairy before them Will had turned into an icicle, his emotions freezing over.

Silvermist finally looked down, swallowing her emotions back. “Be on with you, then”

Will was taken aback, leaning his head down as he tried to look at her. “Really?”

“Get out of her, **_go_**.” Silvermist yells, holding back tears, as she becomes small and flies away.

Will continues to frown after her before turning his head forward and walking away, not saying a word to the two women. Alice frowns after him, walking after him as she wanted to know what was going on. If she didn’t know who Anastasia is, then her adventure had happened **_after_** whatever this woman happened with Will. Alessia just hoped that the younger woman doesn’t pester Will too much to piss him off.

“Was that you apologizing?” Alice questions with a smile.

Will looks over his shoulder, “It happens, don’t dwell on it. Come on.”

“So, who’s Anastasia?” Alice asked curiously.

Will’s jaw twitched as he grinded his teeth together, answering her quickly. “Nobody,”

“Well, in any case, thank you.” Alice said with a small smile.

The group moved into another forest, Alessia really wishing that she had her powers to check all that they couldn’t see. Alessia catches up next to Alice and takes her arm, the two of them slowing down just a bit behind Will.

“If I were you I’d back off in questioning Will about the woman, Anastasia, and anything about his past.” Alessia warned quietly. “I mean it, if you continue to let that damn curiosity get the best of you Will **_well_** leave you.”

With that said Alessia moves quickly towards Will, Alice frowning after the older woman. She knew that the witch was right, but Alice couldn’t help it. She was curious to know everything about other worlds and other people’s lives, Alice felt that she lived a shelter life. Her father wanted her safe and sound back at their house since the day her mother died. He figured that if Alice should step off the land something horrible will happen to her and will be taken away like how their mother was.

“Can’t you, I don’t know, **_do_** something **_magical_** to get us to the tree faster?” Will asked, waving his hands in front of him.

Alessia chuckles, arranging her hat to cover her left eye as she looked to Will, who rolled his eyes at her. “Wish I could, but I can’t transport me or anyone else. Besides,” she sighs, looking forward. “After using my magic on the turtle it’s drained me just a bit. I need some time to recharge before I can fully use all of my magic once again.”

Will frowns, “So you don’t have unlimited magic like Regina?”

Alessia shakes her head, “Unfortunately, no. Her magic is that of a fairytale magic, but mine is that of mortal magic. Different sets of rules.”

Will nods, frowning at that bit of information. Who knew that magic even **_had_** rules? He knew–like everyone–that magic comes with a price, but never limited. By midday they reached a clearance within the forest, Alice noticing where they were. She smiled and ran past the older two, whom stopped with surprise. They looked at each other, then behind them, then back at Alice form before running after her, wondering where the fire was. They saw her lying on the ground behind a couple of bushes, looking through an opening.

“Wait for us!” Will growls quietly, falling next to Alice, Alessia next to him. “You can’t just go running off–”

Alice turns to him, frowning. “Shh!”

“What is it?” Will asked quietly, looking towards the opening of the bushes.

“We’ve got company.” she tells him, looking back at the man on a flying carpet hovering in front of the _TumTum_ tree.

Will sighs, looking to Alice before looking back at the man. “I’m sorry Alice, we’re too late.”

“Actually, we’re just in time.”

Will frowns, “What do you mean?” he questions, looking back to Alice. “He’s about to finish digging.”

“Let him. The bottle’s not here.”

“Huh?” both Will and Alessia questioned confused.

Alice grins, looking at the two older adults before looking back at the man. “Never was.”

“Then-um…” Will shakes his head and looks to Alice very confused, leaning towards her. “Then–then why are we here?”

“I wanted to know who we’re up against, and now I do.”

Alessia hummed, looking at Alice. “So that’s why you kept telling everybody where we’re headed.”

Alice nods, looking to the two of them. “The one thing you can count in Wonderland is that you **_can’t_** count on **_anyone_**.”

“You are clever.” Will mutters, admired at the young girl.

“His name is Jafar.” Alice tells them, ignoring Will’s comment.

“Do you know him?”

“I know **_of_** him.”

“Oh, you got to be **_kidding_** me!” Alessia mutters darkly with annoyance, shaking her head as both Will and Alice looks towards her. “Agrabah is actually **_real_**?”

Alice frowns, “You know about Agrabah?”

“Yeah, another story that’s supposed to be a fairytale.” Alessia tells them, scrubbing her hand over her face tiredly.

She was getting exhausted with all these fairytales actually being real. There were too many characters to follow, with too many problems that came with them. And it seems that Alice and her genie were just as worse. They all turned back to the opening, watching Jafar let his beetles continue to dig for him.

“Wait a second,” Will muttered suddenly, frowning as he turned to Alice. “You didn’t tell me the bloody truth, either. Does that mean you don’t trust me?”

“Well…” she trails, turning to Will, smiling shyly. “If it helps, I do now. Which is why you’re coming with me.”

Will frowns, “Where?”

Alice grins, “To where the bottle is **_really_** hidden.”

With that said Alice crawls away, followed by Alessia as Will frowns before crawling after the two women. By late afternoon they reach a place, Alice not able to contain her own excitement of the view they were nearing. She had a spring in her step, literally, Alice seemed to be skipping with each step she took.

“Passage made of peas.” Alice says out loud, passing an archway, turning to the right. “Tower of tigers. The windmills, this is it. And there’s the dandelion.”

As Alice rushes towards the dandelion Will takes some of the berries off of the archway and eats a couple, humming. “Mmm, these actually aren’t half bad.”

He tosses a few to Alessia, who catches them and pops one into her mouth. She hums as well, nodding in agreement, as she looks at the scenery around her. Alice was already half way down the hill and by the lion shape plant with yellow dandelion all on its back.

“You’re lucky no one came along and ate your bloody landmark.” Will muttered with a grin.

“No. It’s impossible.” Will and Alessia stand next to a shock Alice. “The bottle, it’s gone.”

Will looks away, his jaw ticking, at the thought of losing the chance of making the wish he’s been wanting to make for a very long time now.

“What you said before…maybe you were right. Maybe he’s moved on.”

Will panics at that notion as Alice loses all hope. He wondered what he’s done now in making a young girl begin to doubt on the hope and love she was obviously holding on to. The sun finally dipped below the horizon, Wonderland now covered in darkness. Alice continues to stare down at the hole as both Will and Alessia walked away, giving the younger girl some privacy.

“He’s moved on. It’s the only thing that makes sense.” Alice states out loud, moving to pace and looking at Will and Alessia, “Cyrus and I were the only two people in the world that knew where the bottle was.”

“Or you weren’t.” Will tells her, as Alice walks away from them, “Are you positive that you never mentioned–”

Alice turns sharply to the older two. “ ** _Yes_**!”

Will holds back his tongue and looks down, Alessia looking away as she begins to feel some of her powers coming back. She knew that it wasn’t Will’s fault for saying what he said earlier that day, but it was the simple truth. Sometimes people see what they want to see rather than what it is. Alessia learned the hard way, and it seems so did Will.

“Maybe this whole thing was a fool’s errand, and I’m the fool” Alice mutters, looking back down at empty hole.

Growling could be heard in distance, both Will and Alessia looking towards it with concern. They turned to each other, silently conversing with each other. Neither knew when it was possible, but since starting on this journey both Will and Alessia had come to an understanding of sorts. They were, it seems, the same.

“Alice we should get some shelter, it’s not safe here.”

“Who cares?” Alice tells him, shaking her head.

She shakes her head, holding back tears, and walks away from them. Will frowns with genuine concern, not able to believe the seeds that he has planted in the young girl. Alessia places a hand on his arm, but Will doesn’t seem to have felt her or even acknowledge that she was even there anymore.

“Alice?” Will questions after her, no other words coming to mind.

Alessia sighs, squeezing his arm. “Come on, Will. She’ll get over it eventually. Let’s just get the hell out of her before something attacks. I’m still not strong enough.”

“Fine,” Will sighs, the two of them walking after Alice.

They didn’t walk far, only to where a single large stump stood alone. Alessia moves her hand over the middle, a strong fire going. With a sigh the witch sits on the floor and flops back, pushing her hat down to cover her face. She was exhausted from the drainage of magic earlier, and now that they were able to rest it finally caught up with her. She felt Will sit next to her, shrugging off his leather jacket. He quickly rolled it up and placed it near her and laid down, clearing his throat and crossing his arms. Alessia ignored him, enjoying the warmth coming off his body, which was slowly lulling her to sleep.

Alice, the witch felt, continued to stand a bit further from them, no doubt deep in thought and holding on to that necklace of hers. She was almost asleep, Alessia’s breathing becoming even, when Will’s voice broke through. It roused her just a bit, making the witch frown with disapproval.

“Please go to sleep.”

“I can’t. You sleep.” Alice whispered.

Will sighs quietly, opening his eyes. “How can I sleep if you insist on thinking so loudly?” he questions her, but all he received was silences. “I’m sorry Alice. I put that terrible idea in your head. Don’t listen to me, love–I don’t know nothing about it.”

“I think you do. Who’s Anastasia?”

Will sighs, as does Alessia, who was now wide awake. It seems the younger girl didn’t heed her words and decided to ask about Will’s past. When will this girl learn to keep her mouth shut and not ask questions? She seriously was going to get into trouble real soon if she didn’t stop any time soon!

“That…is a tale of heartbreak.” Will answers her quietly.

“Yours or hers?”

“Either way, does it matter? So there. You got me. I do know something about love.” Will frowns and looks towards Alice, “But that doesn’t mean I’m right about you two. Do you believe that he truly loves you? Cyrus?

“I did.”

Will shrugs, looking up at the night sky. “That’s good then, because when somebody truly loves you they can never move on.”

“My father did.” Alice whispers quietly.

Will turns to Alice with a frown as Alessia pushes her hat upwards with a similar frown. “I’m sorry?”

“He loved me. And he moved on.” Alice swallows quietly, desperately holding back her emotions. “And now it’s happening again.”

Alice moves to sit near the fire, Will sighing as he looks away. Alessia sighs herself, knowing that there were no words for her to say as she has never been in this situation before. A fluttering noise then could be heard and both Will and Alessia looks towards Alice, who was looking up, before getting on her knees. Above them was a flying paper swan getting near Alice, who held out her hand, smiling.

“What…the **_bloody hell_** …is that?” Will questioned slowly, confused.

Alice immediately opens the swan and beings to smile at whatever was on it. “Proof.”

Will frowns with curiosity and moves to his side and leans on his elbow as he waits for Alice to tell them what it was. Alessia smiles and looks towards Will, who looked down at her, continuing to frown. Her smile falters a bit at just how close they are, the witch feeling her heartbeat beating even faster. Will may look scrawny but up close, with his long sleeve thermal gray shirt, it was obvious that he was **_definitely_** not scrawny whatsoever. Alessia quietly swallows and looks back towards Alice, telling herself to breath as normal as she possibly can.

Too long, Alessia tells herself. Too long has she been with a man. That’s what it was. There’s no possibly way that she can be attracted to this man. None! She bites her lower lip, closing her eyes tightly. She can feel Will’s hand hovering down her arm, not touching but he might as well from the way her body was reacting. Opening her eyes Alessia forces herself to concentrate on the younger girl before them, wondering if she should move away from him.

Alice smiles towards Will and Alessia, before looking down at the paper. “He’s alive.”

“I thought,” Will starts, “if you truly love somebody, you didn’t need any proof?” he mocked her, though he couldn’t be any happier for the younger girl.

“You don’t, but it’s still nice to have.” Alice answers with a smile.

She writes her message on the back and lets it fly, all three of them watching the paper swan flying up into the night sky. The full moon shines down on them and all over the world of Wonderland, a few wisps of clouds floating by. Alessia smiles and pushes down on the hat, crossing her arms behind her head. She could feel his hazel eyes staring down intently and desperately wanted to squirm around until he stopped. Finally he seemed to lie back down, Alessia finally able to breathe.

Oh, what the bloody hell did she get herself into now?


	4. Chapter 4

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 4**

_Sixteen year old Alessia slowed her breath, pressing herself hard against the crate she was hiding behind, her legs hurting from all the crouching and running she’s been doing in trying to get away. She found out her father’s **true** plan for his children when she was thirteen and wanted no part in it; nor did she like the feeling of the black mass dwelling inside her. Alessia continued to do all her training like everything was fine, all the while filing away the plan of escape. She was never truly alone since she was the oldest child of her fathers, and, apparently, **very** special to both him and the family of Blackwell. The ceremony to bring out her darkness on her sixteenth birthday was her only chance to escape as she had a fifteen minute window of being alone._

_Too bad it only took her father eight minutes to realize she wasn’t in the room she was supposed to be in._

_Heavy footsteps echoed through the run-down warehouse they were in, Alessia closing her eyes tightly. She could feel her powers trying to reach out to the darkness within her **and** that of the person looking for her. She pulled the powers back, locking them into a box Alessia has been able to form in the last three years so as to not let it consume her. The footsteps suddenly stopped, the silence defeating to the teenager’s ears. She held her breath, willing her heart to stop beating so loud, afraid of the person hearing it._

_Then she felt it. The darkness reaching out from the person in hopes of finding her; of the darkness inside of her reaching out back. Closing her eyes–though she was afraid to do so–Alessia let a little of her powers form with her imagination, seeing the water forming around the pair of feet, careful not to let the water touch them just yet as it formed up their legs. That was another thing she has been practicing since as a child. The one thing she had kept to herself for fear her father disapproving her imagination inflecting with her powers._

_When a nearby crate suddenly exploded with a fireball thrown, no doubt, from the person Alessia cried out in panic and let her powers take over instead. She heard a cry of surprise, followed by grunts and yells of frustration. Panting with fear Alessia slowly looked around the side of the crate and stood from her kneeling position. Her father was trying to move his lower body, which was now formed in a thick layer of ice, spikes pointing outwards to ward off any other invaders._

_The floor length black dress rustled quietly as Alessia moved towards her father, the heels not making a sound. Her father glared at her, but looked impressed as well. The skirt itself was ball-gown like, only less puffy and better to maneuver around in, white symbols that belong to their Balcoin family going down the front of the skirt. Although it was supposed to be strapless Alessia’s father had the dressmaker placed short sleeves on, the family symbol of the Balcoin on the bodice._

_“Impressive, if you wanted to show me your powers you could have before the ceremony.” John Blackwell tells his daughter with a smile._

_Alessia shakes her head, her hands fisted at her side. “I know what you’re doing,” she whispered, shaking with both fury and fear. “And I know what you did to birth me– **why** you wanted to birth me.”_

_Thirty-four year old John Blackwell sighs, his struggles having ceased a while ago. Alessia watches his older face becoming young, showing his true age of twenty-four. She held back her tears and her emotions, seeing the evil and the darkness in her father’s light grey eyes glared at her. Her own gray/green eyes brightening from the tears, refusing to let them loose. Alessia will not give her father that satisfaction._

_“How did you find out?” John demanded._

_Alessia shook her head with disbelief, “You always told me to be one step ahead of my opponent, so I read your memory.”_

_“You’re **truly** remarkable, you know that?” John said with awe, not able to believe the power his daughter had possessed._

_“I just can’t believe that you will go to all that trouble to travel back in time to-to **birth** a **child**!”_

_John shook his head, grinning with excitement. “But, don’t you **see**? I **needed** to have a child with the Balcoin blood that have powers such as yourself!” he laughed with the excitement of the idea, “And to have been able to achieve such a child it needed to be done on a blue moon. Sweetheart, I **needed** to have someone to be able to **control** the Blacoin circle should I never be around anymore!”_

_Alessia sighs quietly, “Too bad I’m not going to be around when that happens!”_

_She turns her back on him and begins to walk away, her father laughing once again. “I **will** find you, Alessia! I will **find you**!”_

_The teenager stops, looking back at her father sadly. “Not if you don’t remember me.”_

_John frowns in both confusion and fear, “What?”_

_Alessia waved her hand at her father, ice covering his head as a hot, bright white light blinded the entire room. The teenager soon found herself standing in front of the woman who left_ Chance Harbor _and into hiding from her father. Amelia Blake looked fearful and displeased to see her, but after taking in the girl’s state the older woman knew something had happened. Alessia than saw herself standing before a burning fire, being held back by someone, as she tried to get inside to save Amelia. She was crying and yelling out for her, knowing that she couldn’t use her powers in front of mortals now crowding in the street._

 

**5**

 

“ ** _Alessia_**!”

“No!” Alessia yelled, her eyes snapping open.

She had flung out her arms, a stream of water pushing the body that was above her. She sat up, panting, looking towards a drenched Will, who was looking annoyed but concerned. Heart beating fast Alessia closed her eyes tightly, willing the darkness trying desperately to break free from its hold inside to consume her weaken state. She felt wet hands grabbing her shoulders as another set of hands took hold of her fisted hand. Calming down Alessia exhaled slowly, opening her eyes to concern hazel ones that belong to one wet Will Scarlet.

“Sorry, bad dream.” she tells them, quickly relaxing as best as she could.

Will flicker’s his eyes to, no doubt, Alice standing to the side of her, the both of them having a conversation, it seems. Sighing Alessia waves her free hand at Will, making him completely dry, since it was her fault that he was wet in the first place. Too long, Alessia knew. Too long since she last had a bad dream that was of her past.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay, love?” Will asked, now rubbing her shoulders and arms in comfort.

Alessia smiles sadly, nodding. “Yeah, promise. I just need to find my way back to Emma. She’s really the only one who understands what it is I’m going through.”

Will smiles, “I get it, don’t worry.”

“Come on, best we get moving. Dawn is upon us,” Alessia tells them, wanting to start walking to shake off the bad feeling from her dream.

Will pulls her to a stand, bringing her close and not letting her hand go. Once again Alessia’s heart beats quickly, her mouth going dry from just the close proximity with Will. She **_really_** needed to get laid, and **_soon_** if her body was responding to Will. **_Will_** , of **_all people_**! Well, fairytale people…person? She mentally shook her head, it wasn’t the time to figure out the correct term. Nodding to him Alessia pulls her hand back and walks around him, waving her hand at the still burning fire in the middle. It was the third day and they finally stopped for the night on the edge of the woods. The three companions spoke little about Cyrus and his note, while the topic of Anastasia wasn’t spoken about again.

On the main pathway they all started to notice some wanted posters, and when they got closer they noticed that it was Will’s face. Alessia did have to admit, however, the drawing had no justice for the real man. None whatsoever. Again she had to slap herself mentally. This thing that was happening with her liking Will is not the time either.

“What a handsome chap.” Will said with amusement.

“That is **_wanted_** chap,” Alice said in disapproving, taking the poster down and reading it out loud. “For theft, fraud, posturing, imposturing, gambling, disturbing the peace, and…public nudity?” she grimaced at the last offense, looking at Will.

“In my defense, I was tied to a tree and stripped of my clothes. That one wasn’t really my fault.” Will tells her seriously.

Alessia snorts, grinning at Will. “ ** _Right_** , it wasn’t your fault.”

Will makes a face at her as Alice sighs, walking over to another tree with the same wanted poster. Alessia chuckles softly to herself, bumping her shoulder against Wills, the both of them looking at the younger girl when she speaks up once again.

“These signs are everywhere.” as proving her point she takes another poster down, “The caterpillar must want you badly. Wanted, with or **_without_** head.”

It was Will’s turn to sigh, “Right, we should split up. You don’t need a thief, much less a **_wanted_** thief getting in the way of finding your genie”

“No, somebody **_stole_** Cyrus’ bottle, who better to capture a thief then someone who thinks like one.” Alice tells him with a smile, walking away.

Will stares after Alice, both his eyebrows raised with surprise. “I believe there was a compliment somewhere in there.”

“Cyrus and I were the only two people that knew where the bottle was buried. So I think whoever dug it up from the ground either has Cyrus or knows who does.”

“See? You don’t need me, you got this all sorted out on your own.”

“It would be one thing if they left behind a clue, something to go on. But, right now, all we got is an empty hole on the ground.” Will stares off with concentration, Alice sighing once again. “If I just got there sooner I could have caught them on the act.”

“That’s it.” Will suddenly said, getting confused looks from the other two women.

“What’s it?”

Will looks to Alice, glanced at Alessia, but looks back to Alice. “All we have to do is find out who got there right before we did.”

“I like nothing more, but unless you can go back in time–”

Will shakes his head, interrupting her. “We don’t need to go to the past, Alice, we simply have to see it. Have you heard of the forget-me-knot?”

Alice frowns, stopping. “The what?”

“This incredible valuable enchanted piece of rope,” he tells her, looking around until he looks up at a tree and takes a wire branch from it. “When tied together by one end, buckle as so, it makes a sort of round picture frame.” he tells her, demonstrating with the branch.

“ ** _Wow_** that **_is_** magic.” Alice said sarcastically, looking at Will as though he was crazy.

Will grins at her doubt, “The magic part comes when you look through it. Because when you do you can see the last thing that happened at any particular place.”

“So, if we hold it above where Cyrus’ bottle was buried,”

“We should see who dug it up.”

Alice grins, her hope rising once again. “Knave, that’s brilliant! Where do we find this terrible useful item?”

“Yeah,” Will drops the branch, walking away as he said tiredly, “that’s going to be the hard part”

They start walking again, Alessia staying quiet. Her mind was still on her dream, of her past, and her two sisters. The other sister and three brothers she never got along with, having been controlled by their father for so long that the darkness took over them. And that’s what worried her. What if they arrive in _Chance Harbor_ , how was her sisters and their friends going to be able to defeat them on their own? They were strong enough, let alone responsible with their magic.

“I don’t care, I can handle whatever it is. I’m **_too_** close in finding him.”

Alessia frowns, having sense the mood Will had become. There was something that he wasn’t telling them and she wondered what that could be. Where exactly was the forget-me-knot? Or, more like **_who_** has it? Then another idea popped up, one that was gnawing at her since the three of them had crossed the lake. She knew there was something deeper that was going on and it was really troubling her. The witch just hoped that she was just wrong about what she thought was going on with the White Rabbit.

“Don’t you find it weird that the White Rabbit hasn’t caught up to us?” Alessia commented, looking behind her.

Both Will and Alice frowned as well, looking back at the witch, whom looked back at them with a look. They all stopped, Alice and Will turning to face her as they frowned at the realization of her words sinking in. The two fairytales looked to each other than back to the witch, the both of them opening their mouths to answer or comment.

It was Alice, who was able to say what she was thinking. “I am ashamed to say that I have forgotten about the Rabbit.”

Alessia hummed, “He’s always been at the back of my mind. But being out on the open like this it’s making me uneasy.”

“You’re right, he should have caught up to us by now,” Will agreed, quickly looking around the open space. “He’s able to travel quickly through Wonderland, what with his portals and what not, and able to find us quickly.”

“At least our general location.” Alessia nods in agreement, before sighing. “Let’s keep walking, I hate being in the open. We’re too exposed.”

Will and Alice looked to each other once again before they continued walking, the both of them on high alert now. Alessia could feel her powers wanting to spread out, Wonderland a magical place beckoning all other magical to use their powers for personal gain. What a dangerous world, and the witch can’t stress it out enough that she needed to go back to Neverland. Not only to help Emma with her quest in getting her son back, but for her to keep the darkness back.

They continued to walk for another couple of hours until Alice finally demanded Will to tell them where the rope was. Will tensed up, continued to look forward at the path before them. He has been leading them ever since he told them of his knowledge of the rope, but has yet to say where exactly. Alessia just wished that there was a spell that she knew to have helped solve this instead of going on this side adventure to find this magical rope.

Finally Will told them where the rope was located when Alice questioned the direction they were heading, having recognized the area. They had moved off the beaten path and into the tall grass and mushrooms now surrounding them. Both women couldn’t believe what it was that they were hearing. It was an impossible task. At least in Alice’s mind it was an impossible task for them, but if they let her Alessia will have no problem getting the rope.

“The **_caterpillar_** has the forget-me-knot?” Alice cried with disbelief, finally realizing why the area looked so familiar. “That’s not a solution that is another problem!”

“It’ll be okay. Wait here, I’ll pop in and get it.” Will tells them, as though it was that simple.

“You’ll pop in?” both women cried, looking at him incredulously.

Alice stops him, standing in front of him, saying, “To the creature who has all of Wonderland hunting you? You think he’ll just hand over the knot?”

“He likes to make deals, and I have a deal for him.”

Alice shakes her head, “You’ll think he’ll take it and not just kill you on sight?”

“There’s always the element of risk.”

“You’re willingly to do this for me?” Alice confused and surprised.

“Don’t get all mushy on me, Alice, I’m doing this for **_me_**. This **_thief_** is going to clear his name.” Will tells her sternly, walking around her.

“How about we go in together?”

Will quietly sighs, turning to look at Alice, “Fine.” he said begrudgingly, knowing he can’t talk her out of it.

“ ** _Or_** ,” Alessia starts, gaining their attention. “ ** _I_** can go inside and get it myself?”

Will shook his head, “No. No magic Sia.”

Alessia sighs, rolling her eyes. “I’m not going to **_kill_** him, just go in, magically find the rope, get it, then get out.”

Will walks up to her, taking her shoulders. “ ** _No_**.”

Alessia frowns, seeing the concern and knowing in his eyes. Will was starting to scare her. He’s starting to know her completely; her moods, her thoughts, her gestures. They’ve only gotten to know each other more in the last couple of days then in passing in _Storybrooke_ , but it shouldn’t have been enough to know her so quickly. One thing, though, the Knave of Hearts was too observant for her liking.

“Fine,” Alessia whispered.

Satisfied Will nods and turns around, Alessia following behind him, along with Alice. She could feel her shoulders tingling from where Will had grasped her. Slowly the witch was starting to freak out with what was happening between them. Alessia needed to speak with someone about this, but the only person she trusted was Emma and she wasn’t anywhere near each other. The trio walk up to the red door formed in the tall red mushroom, Will pushing it open. Voices, laughter, and silverware clinking together could be heard rising from below. Will looks inside, then at the two women–bracing himself–before walking in, Alessia and Alice right behind him. As they walked down the stairs the voices and laughter became louder.

They stopped at the base of the stairs, the two women surprised at the difference from where they were standing and where they came from. It was a bigger land, another world. It was a dark forest that has been overgrown by the plants, trees, and mushrooms. Alessia felt almost at home, the darkness calling her out and whatnot.

“It’s a lot bigger than it looks from the outside.” Alice commented, surprise.

“You’re used to Wonderland, Alice.” Will tells her, grinning as they stared at all the people eating, drinking, and talking in or around tables. “Welcome to Underland.”

As everyone heard Will’s voice, and recognized, they all become quiet, looking towards the newcomers. Everyone was looking towards Will, overlooking the other two women, revenge and hate clearly seen in their eyes and face.

“Follow **_my lead_** ,” Will whispers to them, leaning back against Alessia. “This is **_my_** world, let **_me_** handle things.

He takes a couple of steps forward when a large man grabs Will by his jacket and pushes him against the wall. Will, surprised, looks at the man with fear before making his look neutral when he realizes who it is. Dread finally sets in, wondering perhaps if he should take up Alessia’s use of her powers. The thought is quickly shot down, knowing that using her powers too much can bring out the darkness she so fears from within. She might not know it, but Will knows she has limited herself to using her powers in Wonderland as he has clearly seen her use them as often back in _Storybrooke_. It was clear that Wonderland was doing something to her **_and_** the darkness and Will hoped to find her way back to Emma and keep the darkness at a distance.

“Nazim! Pleasure to see you again.” Will comments sarcastically.

“Don’t **_pleasure_ ** me!”

Will looks horrified, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“You owe me money!” Will cringes, moving his head away from the man’s breath, “You owe **_everybody_** money”

Alice unsheathes her sword and placed at Nazim’s neck as he pulled back his arm to punch Will, who was waiting for the hit. Alessia had taken out her Beretta PX4 Storm, cocking the slide back, and placed it against the man’s temple. Having been in the police force for so long the action of cocking the gun and pulling it out looked only if she just pulled it out.

“Let’s all keep our heads, shall we?” Alice states, staring at the man who looked at her from the corner of his eye.

“I **_said_** let ** _me_** handle it!” Will tells them, staring at Alice.

Suddenly everyone moves forward, unsheathing their swords and/or daggers. Seeing this Alessia moves her gun from the man to the others, looking at them all emotionlessly. Both Alice and Will also looked to the large group wanting Will’s head, Will sweating just a tiny bet. He looked back to Alice, with an almost defeated look as he realized he did a lot of crossing to a lot of people.

“Okay, maybe I can use a little help.” Will whispered, though it could be heard through the silence.

“Stop. Let him go.” a voice rings out over everyone.

Nazim lets him go quickly, Will grinning at him. Nazim growls at him as Will walked pass with Alessia behind him, then Alice who had sheathed her own sword. Alessia, however, kept her gun out just in case, keeping alert as the place was packed with many people.

“Let them through,” the voice told the group as the trio passed through.

Everyone stared Will down angrily, sheathing their weapons begrudgingly, many of them wanting to be the one to beat Will for whatever he did to them. Will merely stares back at them, showing no fear, as they reached the caterpillar in his own little tent, smoking. Alice moved to Will’s left as Alessia moved to his right.

“The Knave of Hearts, I missed you.” the caterpillar tells him, blowing smoke at them.

Will waves his hand in front of his face, his head slightly turned, as Alice and Alessia merely look down, cringing at the smell. Alice waves his hand in front of her face, the smoke lingering in front of her.

“The feeling is **_certainly_** not mutual.” Will mutters darkly, bringing his hand down.

He frowns when he felt her gun still out. Will placed his hand over her, Alessia’s hand twitching slightly, and squeezed her hand. When he heard her sigh he let her go, Alessia putting on the safety and holstering her weapon. It was probably for the best, anyways, Alessia thinking of how she had only eleven rounds left and one clip. And she might need them if she ever got back to Neverland.

“Or, rather, I missed the **_money_** you **_owe_** me. I take it you brought it to me? Or is the girls your form of payment?” the caterpillar questioned, grinning at the two women.

Alice frowns, glaring at Will. “Hey!”

Will rolled her eyes at the younger girl, but grinned at Alessia who was snarling at the caterpillar. “ ** _Actually_** , I came here hoping to make a deal. For the forget-me-knot.”

The caterpillar laughs, his bottom hands holding on to his stomach. “You want to go deeper into my debt?”

Will shook his head, “Won’t be my first choice. But one day, with **_that_** knot I’ll be able to pay everything back, and then double.”

“I don’t believe you.” the caterpillar growls at him before looking towards Alessia. “Now, shall we talk about **_other forms_** of payments?”

Alessia’s hands twitched, Will linking his hands with hers, not wanting Alessia to use her powers on the sliming caterpillar. He can feel the anger and disgust vibrating off of her and he didn’t want the witch to do something that will only make matters even worse than they were now. Alice was keeping quiet, studying the caterpillar and all that’s she’s heard.

“He doesn’t have it.” Alice suddenly told the other two.

Will frowns, looking to Alice. “What?”

“The knot,” Alice explained in a low voice, “he’s **_greedy_** , he would have taken double!” She then looks back at the caterpillar with a smug look, “You don’t’ have it, do you caterpillar?”

“Alice, **_still so smart_**.” the caterpillar mocked her, almost angrily.

Alice glares at him, “But you know **_where_** it is.”

“ ** _Indeed_**.”

Will holds up his head, his hand tightening a bit in Alessia’s hand. “New deal, tell us, we’ll get it for ya, and my debt is erased.”

“Mmm,” the caterpillar hummed, thinking it over before grinning. “The deal is accept.”

“Cheers, mate.” Will nods in acceptance before asking, “Now, where is it?”

“With the Grendel.” the caterpillar said with a grin.

“The Grendel?” Will asked with disbelief and fear.

Both Alice and Alessia frown, never having heard of this creature, and looked to Will. They’ve never seen him too terrified about anything–well, except when Silvermist dropped him into the lake, but that was because he doesn’t know how to swim–until now. They wanted to know who or what exactly is this Grendel.

“I believe he still lives and **_eats_** in the _Whispering Woods_. **_Good luck_**.”

Will shook his head with more disbelief. “You **_want_** me to fail?”

“I don’t care, all outcomes favor **_me_**. Either you achieve what none before you have and get the knot from the Grendel. Or you die trying, or you get the knot and try to keep for yourself.”

“How does the last one favor you?” Alessia asked curiously.

“Because then I get to exact the revenge on you I’ve been waiting so **_long_** for. And when I am through, I will not only I possess the knot, I will possess **_you_**.”

The trio frowned at this last part, wondering what the caterpillar means. How it is that he will be able to possess both the knot and Will at the same time? Will decides to ask the question, too curious for his own good to know one of his fate.

“Possess me? I thought you wanted me dead?”

“There **_are_** fates worse than **_death_**.” the caterpillar tells him as he waves at a golden oval covering, pulling it up to show a man’s head screaming. “I can **_always_** use another pretty face on my desk.” the caterpillar laughed.

Alice looks horrified at the screaming head and looks to Will, who was looking down at it with utter fear, his eyebrows pushed together with a frown. Knowing that they were now dismissed Alessia tugs on Will’s hand, going back the way they came from, Alice not too far behind. Neither of them spoke as they reached above ground of Wonderland, Will now taking charge of where they need to go, letting Alessia’s hand go. The tall grass, mushrooms, and flowers soon make way into another forest–a normal looking one this time–the once bright path now turning into a dirt one that has been well worn and hidden.

“What’d you know about the Grendel?” Alice suddenly asked, curious to know what it is.

“Nothing pleasant.” Will sighs, looking down at the ground. “Only a few people have seen him and live to tell about it. And what they tell is nasty.”

Alice frowns, the whispering starting to get to her. “Why would a creature like that want the forget-me-knot?”

“I suppose he wants it for the same reasons the caterpillar does, Alice. There’s **_power_** in knowing other people don’t. Knowing their secrets, things they tried to hide, mistakes they’ve made.”

“So we’re going to make the most cruel and powerful insect in Wonderland even **_more_** powerful? Therefore even more cruel?” Alice asked, though it was rhetorical.

“That sums it up,” Alessia mutters, Will nodding.

Alice sighs, shaking her head. “There must be a way to get what we want without just… ** _putting_** our troubles onto others.”

“What if I tell you, you can be with Cyrus forever?” Will asked, stopping in the middle of their walk, Alice turning to her. “But someone else had to suffer because of it. Would you do it?”

Alice opens her mouth and closes it a couple of times before frowning. “Well that’s not an option, so…”

“Maybe it’s not an option **_today_** but it could be one **_tomorrow_**.” Will tells her, walking once again. “How much is he worth to you, Alice? Don’t forget what we’re doing here is **_thieving_**.”

“Yes,” Alice sighs, “I’m getting that.”

“Yeah, you wanted a thief, well you got one.” he tells her, a grim look on his face as he remembered his past.

“Still naïve, Alice.” Alessia says over her shoulder. “All that we do in life, whether good **_or_** bad, someone **_always_** gets hurt.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 5**

Walking off the beaten path the three of them saw a two story old house. Half the house looked to be intact and brand new, overrun by ivy, while the other looked dark and rundown. The path leading to the house was narrow enough for two people to walk down in, overgrown hedges on either side, blocking another route to enter the house. The trees surrounding the area was dense and closed in, the whispering only louder because of it. With the sun filtering through the trees and on to the house Alessia thought it would make a great picture. She filed the scene to the back of her mind, hoping to make painting once she returns to _Storybrooke_.

The trio stopped, staring at the house before them, all of them wondering how they were to go in and get the knot. Alessia’s hands suddenly twitched, wanting to place a spell to shut the whispering up, but once again Will knew what she was thinking and took hold of her hand, squeezing. Seriously Will knowing her moods and touching her every time he knew what she was thinking was making Alessia uncomfortable and angry. She didn’t want to feel the emotions whenever Will touched or looked at her. Nor did she like how her body responded to his close proximity, his touch, his warmth.

“Do you think the Grendel’s in there?” Alice suddenly asked, not able to take her eyes away from the house.

“Doesn’t matter, we don’t have a choice. We’re going in there either way.” Will tells her.

He turns to Alessia, who wouldn’t look his way, wanting stop the beating of her heart and the way her palms started to sweat. She quietly inhaled and exhaled, making sure to keep her breathing as normal as possible. Any signs of how Will affects her well not only change things between them, but will jeopardize the mission they were on as well. Alessia frowns, thinking, not for the last time, of how she thought she had feelings for Captain Killian ‘Hook’ Jones. But all that she was experiencing with Will never happened with Killian, and that scared her more than she thought possible.

Alice, with a determine look, unsheathes her sword and takes a couple of steps forward, bringing Alessia out of her thoughts. Will raises an eyebrow, staring at her before speaking up. Sometimes the girl tends to make things difficult when all they need is a good plan. She may be in a hurry to find her genie, but if Alice was to take a step back and actually **_think_** for once they can get Cyrus quickly and with no trouble at all.

“You going to challenge him to a duel?” Will mocked, staring at her.

Alice quietly inhales before she looked back at Will. “I’ve fought monsters before, have you?”

“I’ve stolen from them.” Will tells her smugly, “And what my experience has taught me **_is_** , the only thing better to defeating a monster is **_never_** having to fight one in the first place.” Will shook his head as though to emphasize his point.

Alice raises an eyebrow, asking, “Then how do you purpose we get the knot from him then?”

“Simple. I’ll create a diversion, it will also draw the Grendel out. You go inside, grab the knot and **_run_**. If we lose each other we meet at the greenery pasture where the bottle was buried.”

Alice stares at him for a minute before saying with surprised confusion, “That plan is actually quite sound. You really **_are_** a thief.”

“Aye, follow me.” Will walks forward, the two women walking in sync with him. “The trick is poised. Keep your cool and always stay one step ahead of your mark.”

Just as the words left his lips the three of them screamed as they fall, the ground beneath their feet having disappeared. All of them hit the ground hard, knocking Will and Alice unconscious as Alessia groans. Having been on the run and trying to get away Alessia had her fair of share of falling from high places. Getting to her knees Alessia looks around the hole they were in with confusion and annoyance. Apparently this Grendel was smarter than they all thought.

Feeling a presences coming nearby Alessia looks down to her gun and waves a hand at it. If she were to get caught she didn’t want the Grendel to use it. She looked up just in time to see a monster. He seemed to look as though he been a man once, his face now disfigured, burn wounds or perhaps boils all over his face and the left side of his face. Feeling the Earth below her Alessia made herself rise and jumping on to the level ground, the Grendel quickly running towards her.

Alessia brought up a wall of water, but the Grendel merely ran pass through it and swung his arm at her. Alessia yelled, her breath leaving her as she hit against a tree hard, knowing that she had made a dent in its bark. Feeling herself going dark Alessia stared at the grinning Grendel before she slumped forward, darkness taking over.

 

**5**

 

_“You **idiots**!” Alessia yelled, running into the old house. “Were you really willingly to let loose this **demon** out into town?”_

_The teenagers and Jane Blake, Amelia’s mother and Cassie’s grandmother, turning towards her with surprise and confusion. Jane, however, frowned at the younger woman, taking a fighting stance, the piece of crystal she had hold tightly in her right hand. The teenagers looked at her with confusion, wondering how Alessia had found them, and how she was able to hold Nick Armstrong within a circle of fire._

_“Alessia, what are you doing?” Jane asked carefully, watching her intently._

_“The darkness hasn’t consumed me, if that’s what you’re thinking Jane.” Alessia tells the older woman, not taking her eyes off the possessed teenager now standing and growling at her. “You can’t win, **Abaddon**. You know if you walk through that fire you will **burn**!”_

_The demon in Nick hissed, yelling at her. “ **Let me go witch**!”_

_Alessia thrust her hand forward, water appearing around Nick’s feet. As it crawled half way up his legs Alessia dropped the fire as the water formed into ice, keeping him in place. The teenagers gasped, not able to believe what they were seeing. Not even in Diana’s or Cassie’s Book of Shadows._

_“Goodbye Abaddon,” Alessia says, pointing her forefinger at him. “It will be a **long** time until we see each other again.”_

_The demon yelled as Alessia shoved water into his mouth. The teenagers cried out and they all moved forward, but Jane held them back, trusting the other witch with what she was doing. Though the elder made sure to keep an eye on her incase the demon latches on to her instead; and **that** would be the end of things as it is. Alessia concentrated intently in the way the water was moving, desperately trying to catch up with the slithering demon._

_Finally the water caught up to the demon and Alessia pulled all the water out, along with the demon, Nick panting as he slumped to the floor. Alessia waved her hand at the ice to let Nick not break anything before dropping the demon on the ground and lighting a fire. It screeched in pain, Alessia quickly taking the demon and throwing it to the suitcase, Jane quickly taking the box off of it. The suitcase immediately became inflamed, the rest of the demon screeching in pain._

_The teenagers, except Melissa who went to Nick, moved towards Alessia, Faye being the one to get in her face. “How the hell are you able to do that? **We** couldn’t even make water or ice before bounding the circle!”_

_Alessia shakes her head, looking to Jane. Both of them knew that it wasn’t time to tell the teenagers what it was that they saw. If they were to explain–if **she** was to explain–why she was able to use the elements, who she really was nothing good will come out of it. There was only one thing to do but Alessia needed Jane’s full permission incase this backfires on them._

_The older witch shakes her head, softly saying. “It’s time for **some** of the truth.”_

_Exhaling softly herself, Alessia nods, looking towards Cassie. “I was born on the night of a blue moon, which gives any witch full powers of all the elements. **That** is why I can create fire, ice, and water while you guys can only do it when in pairs or more.”_

_“That’s not fair!” Faye muttered darkly, crossing her arms._

_Cassie shook her head in confusion, “But what did you mean when you told my grandmother that the darkness hasn’t consumed you?”_

_Alessia sighs, “Sorry Cassie, but that’s a story for another time.”_

**_5_ **

_Alessia looks at the blonde woman before her, smirking at the annoyance that was obvious on her face. “I’m sorry Swan, but you can’t have the reward until you provide why the man is bleeding all over my desk!”_

_“I already **told you** , I was chasing this idiot down the street when he decided to try and jump a fence and trips over the curb!”_

_Emma Swan, wearing tight blue jeans with black boots and her trade mark red leather jacket, glared at the other woman just a year younger than her. She’s dealt with this police officer before and each time Alessia has always given her grief with each fugitive she brought in. It really isn’t her fault that she has to be rough with the men, who think they’re stronger than her because she’s a **woman**!_

_Alessia sighs, quickly writing something down on the report. “All right, Swan, don’t get all uppity about it.” signing her name, Alessia looks up and motions another police officer to take the fugitive away. “Here you are Swan, signed and delivered. You know where to go.” she tells the other woman, handing over the copy of the report._

_Emma snatches the paperwork, Alessia tsking but grinning nonetheless. Glaring at her once more Emma stands and walks away, the witch laughing as she does so. Alessia quickly putting her things away and shutting down her computer. Grabbing her keys and jacket as she stands Alessia bids the graveyard shift officers good night and makes her way towards the side door that leads out to the parking lot. Putting on her coat Alessia sighs into the cold night, closing her eyes and tipping her head back._

_Tomorrow was her day off and she was going to do nothing but catch up on some reading on her couch, in her pajamas, with a glass of wine and take-out. Feeling a presence she snaps open her eyes and quickly turns, only to get punched, falling against a parked car. The person than sliced her forearm, Alessia crying out before flinging the person off of her, but not before taking out a ring from her finger. Getting up Alessia turned to see an unknown man holding a clear bottle filled with mandrake root, her blood, and her ring._

_The man sneered at her, lighting up a match and holding it over the clear bottle. “Time to die, **witch**!”_

_When he dropped the match inside the darkness inside Alessia took over, breaking the glass, the man crying out in fear. Alessia proceed to let the darkness take over, shoving a hand in the man’s direction, setting him on fire. Everything around her became distance, the noises muffled and echoing. A voice was calling out to her, but Alessia barely heard it, her stare intent on the man slowly burning. A couple of hands then took hold of her arms, shaking her slightly as they yelled her name._

_Alessia gasped, blinking rapidly as she stared into the hazel eyes that belonged to Emma. She was looking at her with concern and fear, confused as to what was happening. Panting Alessia looked past Emma to see the ashes that belonged to the man. To the witch hunter that had tried to kill her._

_“What the hell happened?” Emma questioned, continuing to stare at her with so many emotions._

_Alessia shakes her head, exhaling slowly, and raised her hand towards the broken witch cruid, her ring flying towards her. “I’m a witch, Emma. And that man was a witch hunter trying to kill me.”_

_“So you killed him?” Emma questioned confused, dropping her arms._

_Alessia shakes her head once again, tears in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to. The darkness took over,” she frowns at the older woman, who seemed calm that she was a witch and has darkness inside her. “But you stopped it from consuming me. How is that possible?”_

_Emma shakes her head, shrugging. “I don’t know.”_

_Alessia continues to frown, wondering if she found her savior from the darkness inside her. If Emma was willingly to be friends outside of their profession then Alessia wouldn’t need to leave Boston, nor be afraid of the darkness consume her. Alessia just hoped that Emma wouldn’t mind knowing all there was to witches and her life._

_“You’re still shaking,” Emma tells her, rubbing her arms. “Let’s get some food and talk about what just happened, hm?”_

_Yes, Emma is her savior and the two of them were going to stick together until the danger comes knocking at her door._

 

**5**

 

Will groans, slowly opening his eyes, having heard a noise. Seeing a table and a fireplace Will quickly snapped to attention, looking around the obviously kitchen. He can feel his hands tied behind his back, as well as rope around his legs. Looking to his right he saw an unconscious Alice and Alessia, the witch leaning against him. He whispered their name, trying to rouse them awake. Alice gasped awake, startling to look at Will, then down at the still unconscious Alessia, before looking back up at Will.

“Will are you all right?”

“I’ve been better.” Will said sarcastically, looking back around the room they were in. “Where are we?”

Alice looks around too, frowning in confusion. “I think we’re in his house.”

“Actually I think we’re in his kitchen.”

They suddenly hear somebody walking down some steps and moves towards the fireplace, placing firewood underneath a large cauldron. Will raises an eyebrow, calling out to him, hoping that the man will be willingly to help them escape.

“Excuse me sir!”

Both Alice and Will gasp quietly when the monster turned towards them with a growl, moving their heads back with both surprise and fear. The monster picks up the knife from the table and moved to the side, just slightly out of their vision. A contraption could be sound and the two fairytales wonder what it was. Will moves slightly forward to see what he was doing and sees him sharping the knife.

He leans back over to Alice, mindful of Alessia leaning against him, whispering. “I think now might be a good time to use one of them wishes.”

“There has to be another way out of this!” Alice tells him, struggling against her bounds.

Will looks towards beneath the sink to see bones and clothing sticking out. “The only way out seems to be his digestive tract.”

Alice looks to him, desperate to leave the house behind. “Since you’re such a great thief, maybe it’s time to show what you can do?”

Will quietly exhales, quickly trying to think up a plan as he struggles with his own bounds. He looks back down at Alessia when she moves slightly forward down his body, seeing the blood matted against her hair on the back of her head. Cursing to himself, Alice asking him what was wrong, Will begins to try and wake the witch up. He’s seen what a simple bump to the head has done to a few people in the past; they’ve never woke up after. Will shakes his body, finally rousing the witch. She moaned painfully, slowly sitting up but burying her face into his chest, her head pounding painfully hard.

“What happened?” Alessia moans, rising her head slightly.

She blushed when she realized how close her face was to Will’s, the fairytale man slowly grinning down at her. He dips his head down slightly, his nose touching hers and Alessia did everything in her power to not kiss him right then. She forced herself to breathe, her lungs burning for air as she held her breath since she looked up at Will.

“Well love, we got captured by the Grendel and we’re now waiting to get eaten.” Will tells her in a whisper.

Frowning Alessia pulls back from Will, and burns the ropes, making her free. She quickly unties the ropes around her legs, turning to Alice, who had turned her back to her. Suddenly they heard the monster speak, making Alessia stop with fear. Both Alice and Will wondered when the Grendel had left the machine that he was sharpening the knife with.

“Fire’s ready.”

“Will, did you hear that?” Alice asked, looking at him. “I think he’s talking to someone.”

“ ** _Brilliant_**! Because one bloody monster **_isn’t_** enough!” Will said sarcastically.

“What’s for dinner?” the Grendel asked.

Curious to know who he was talking to, Will moves and falls on his side. He looks up at the dining room, seeing no one but the Grendel. He frowns at the realization of what was going on and wonder if their situation has gotten worse or not.

“He’s alone. The crazy bloke is talking to himself!” Will said with annoyance.

“Will, come on, he might see you!” Alice urged him fearfully.

Will moves to his hands and stops, staring at what they’ve been looking for. “Well, **_hello_**.”

“What is it?” Alice asked curiously.

“The knot,” Will nods at it, not taking his eyes off of it. “It’s right there.”

Raising an eyebrow Alessia goes on her hands and knees and moves forward, looking up at the other room to see the knot. Biting her lower lip, Alice moves forward, wanting to see for herself if it really was there. Suddenly an image appears, a woman moving in and placing something down.

“Bloody hell,” Will muttered, surprised.

The monster hums, “You smell lovely.”

Alice frowns with fear. “Will, we got to get ou–” she stopped when a man entered through the knot, talking to the woman. “Those two must’ve been the last ones in the room. What did he do to those **_poor_** people?”

“I don’t think he did anything to them.” Will said with a shake of his head.

Alice frowns with confusion, turning to Will. “What?”

Will looks at her, “ ** _Alice_** , I think there may be a way for us to get everything we want today.” he tells her, a plan already forming.

As Alice moved back to her spot Will turned to Alessia to say something when his eyes slithered down her shirt. He grinned, seeing the black lace of the bra she was wearing barely covering her breast and wondered if she had matching underwear as well.

“Well, **_hello_**.” he muttered, mostly to himself.

Alessia turns to him and frowns when she realizes that he wasn’t looking at her face. Looking down she notices what it was that he was looking and snapped her head back up at Will, glaring at him. She sits up and slaps him before sitting back down.

“ ** _Pervert!_** ” she hissed at him angrily.

Will merely grinned at her, quickly sitting up and returning to his spot as well. “It wasn’t my fault that you exposed yourself.”

Alessia merely continued to glare at him and went back to undoing the ropes around Alice while Will continued to watch the image in the knot. She was about to use magic when Alice looked back at Will with concern and fear.

“Will, let’s get out of here! I can’t find Cyrus if I’m dead. Forget the knot!”

Will turns to her sharply, “We **_got to have it_**! Let **_me_** talk to him! Don’t **_worry_** , I’m good with monsters.”

“No! This is for me and I say let’s find another way!”

“This is for me too! And we’re **_doing it_**.” Will tells her sharply before looking towards the monster with a too bright smile, Alessia sitting back and magically let ropes appear around her legs as her arms tucked behind her. “Excuse me, Mr. Grendel!” the Grendel stops what he was doing and look towards Will. “That woman you’ve been looking at, she’s quiet lovely.”

“Stop talking.” the Grendel tells him with a snarl.

“Do you know her? Does she have a name?”

The Grendel growls and moves towards him, his hand up, ready to strike. The woman laughing catches his attention, the Grendel walking forward. Will, Alessia, and Alice, who had moved their heads to the side and closed their eyes looked up at the monster and the image within the knot, slowly opened their eyes, watching. When he sighs, Will speaks up, knowing it was time to put his plan into motion. Alessia wondered what he was planning and prayed that it doesn’t get them killed quickly.

“She was yours, wasn’t she? You loved her.” the Grendel growls, but not looking away from the image. “Losing someone you truly love it can change ya.”

“How do you know?” the Grendel asked curiously.

“Because the way you **_look_** is how **_I_** feel.” the Grendel turns to him with curiosity, as Alice frowns at him with surprise, Will nodding. “Believe me, I understand what you’re going through.”

The Grendel looks down in wonder before up at the image. Alice stares over to Will with surprise, wondering if what he was saying was the truth or not. She’s never seen this side of Will before and wondered if it was all a trick to save their lives. Alessia stares at him with sadness, seeing the pain in his face and the words that he was saying were nothing but the truth. The woman, Anastasia, really did a good number on him and Alessia hoped to help him when he finally opens up to her.

“Keep talking, it’s working.” Alice whispered as she leaned forward slightly.

Will slowly takes a deep breath, his heart slowly breaking all over again. “I say that the only way to move on is to leave the past behind ya. Looking through that knot, thinking about her, **_seeing_** her, **_remembering_** her, it hurts too much! You want to move on? You have to let go of the hurt. It’s the only way.”

Alice looks at Will sadly, never having known how much hurt Will was, tears slowly forming in her eyes. Apparently this Anastasia really did a number on him and hoped to find out a little more about her and what happened between them. Alessia, already knowing what Alice was thinking, turned to her, shaking her head. She’s warned Alice in the past to not let her curiosity get the best of her, to stop prying into other people’s lives. However the determined look Alessia saw in the younger woman’s eyes told her that Alice wasn’t going to stop **_at all_**.

“I don't want to move on.” the Grendel tells him quietly, though he knew the other guy was right.

Will shakes his head. “Sometimes you don't have a choice. It’s for the best mate, **_trust_** me.”

“Silence!” the Grendel breathes heavily, staring at Will before looking at the counter to his side and picking up an axe, licking his deformed lips. “ ** _Dinner time_**.”

Will, who had moved his head to the side, waited for the axe or even a fist, but looked at him with frustration as the Grendel walked away, putting more fire into the fireplace. Alice looks to Will, rolling her eyes, trying to get out of her binds once again, not able to believe that his plan has failed. The Grendel then moved away from their sight and through a door they couldn’t see, slamming shut behind him.

“He went out to chop wood, he’ll be back any second!” Alice tells them, still struggling against her binds.

“Don’t panic, I’ve been in worse binds then this.” Will tells him, pulling his arm to break the binds, quickly exhaling. “Well equivalent binds.”

“So who was that woman? The one you had to forget?” Alice asked curiously, stopping her movements.

Will frowns at her, as did Alessia, not able to believe that she was asking that at the moment. “Really, we’re about to be eaten alive!”

“Was it Anastasia?” Alice continued to ask, not taking no for an answer.

“I mean this as a friend, Alice, **_sod off_**!”

Before both Will and Alice can say anything Alessia shook her head. She had enough of this nonsense, waved her hand at rope at her legs and set fire to the ropes to both Alice’s and Will’s. They were going to get out of there alive, and if that meant to use magic against the Grendel then so be it.

“All right, let’s get the hell out of here!” she told them, waiting for the door to close. “This guy is creeping me out! And I rather not be eaten!”

They quickly all stood up and moved towards the door, Alice telling them to hurry. Will suddenly stopped and turned towards the dining room. Alessia moves next to him, taking his arm as she, too stared at the knot over the table. It was the reason why they had made this journey in the first place and they were so close to taking it.

“What are you doing?” Alice questioned them confused.

“I ain’t leaving without that knot.” Will tells her.

Alice shakes her head at him, “Will!”

Will turned to Alice sharply, “I made the deal with the caterpillar. It’s my bloody **_head_** on the line!”

“It’d be **_all_** of our heads if we don’t get out of here!” Alice tells him angrily.

Alessia suddenly agrees with Alice on that and pulls on Will’s arm, making him sigh. He turns back to the door, Alice struggling with the latch on the door. Suddenly the axe embeds itself in the wall next to them and the door, the three of them looking back to see an angry looking Grendel snarling at them. Will turns back to a frozen Alice, leaning towards her with the same fear that they all wore in their eyes.

“Whenever you’re ready, Alice. No hurry!” Will tells her sarcastically, looking back at the Grendel.

“Move!” Alessia tells Alice, shoving her away from the door.

She magically moves the latch, all three of them diving for the door and opening it. However their eyes widen when they see an overgrown hog with spikes on its back, growling and shaking its head when it saw them. Pounding on its hoof the hog growls at them before rushing towards them. As it makes to move towards them at a run the three of them shut the door, Alessia magically locking the latch once again.

Now they were ultimately trapped for two monsters to kill them. What a great way to die!


	6. Chapter 6

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 6**

“What the hell do we do now?” Alessia asked them, “We’re freaking cornered here!”

“What the hell is that thing?” Will asked at the same time.

The three of them continued to walk backwards as the Grendel frowns at them before looking towards the pounding door. Despite that he wants to eat the three he captured, the Grendel rather deal with the other monster wanting to destroy his house to get to them first. Besides, he would hate to see this house that was once his and his wife’s get destroyed.

“It’s a bandersnatch.” Alice tells him fearfully.

Both Alessia and Will frown, staring at the pounding door, asking at the same time, “What’s it doing here?”

“It’s here for me.” Alice tells them fearfully before looking towards the rope, then back at the door. “Come on, I have a plan.”

She moves towards the stairs as the Grendel walks the rest of the way down and grabs the kitchen knife. The three of them moved towards the end of the table and crouch down, looking up at the table just as the door busted open. Alice then motions them to where the rope was being held by, pressing against the wall. They watch as the bandersnatch crashes onto the dining room, looking around before jumping on top of the table. It moves forward and snarls at the rope, having seen the last image of the three of them ‘hiding’ behind the table and chair.

“He bought it,” Will tells them, Alessia hanging on to the rope, watching as the creature pushes his head through the knot. “Now!”

Alessia pulls down with a grunt at the right rope, tightening the knot around the bandersnatch like a noose. When the creature begins to struggle, tipping the table over, Will held onto the witch around the waist to keep her from flying up to the ceiling. Alice looks to the side to see a struggling Grendel walking up the few steps, holding on to the wall. Looking through the broken banister the young woman runs and jumps down to the next landing, rushing towards the table that laid her sword.

“We did it!” Will cried out with a grin, pulling Alessia flushed against his body.

Alessia groans, pushing her feet against the windowsill near the wall, trying to keep the knot from being loosen. At the moment she didn’t care but after everything they do there and they were on their way the witch will be thinking nothing but at the feeling of his hard body pressing against hers. Of his arms tightening around her middle, while his hot breath fell against the side of her neck and open space to her shoulder. Yes, because of the situation at hand she couldn’t think much but making sure that they will live through for the next day.

“Not yet!” she yelled at him.

Alessia’s eyes widen when the creature turned to her and Will, but then it looks to the left at the Grendel, attacking with his tusk at him first. They both go down before the bandersnatch growls at the Grendel, who was fearing the strong creature before him. The creature was getting ready to tear him apart when Alice returns with her sword and stabs the creature in the neck. The creature cries out before becoming nothing but black dust that disappears.

Alessia sighs against Will, the both of them falling to the floor. Her head fell back against Will’s shoulders as his head fell against hers, the both of them panting. Alice sighs exhausted, looking towards the other two, raising an eyebrow at them. She’s noticed how close the two have become, but mostly of how Will looked towards the witch. He may be sad and heartbroken over Anastasia, but he was slowly falling in love with Alessia whether he knew it or not.

“How’d you know that thing would fall for your trap?” Will asked Alice, looking up at her.

Alessia shivered, tightening her closed eyes even more. His breath and lips against her skin brought out more emotions and desires than she wanted. Things she’s tried so hard not to feel after what happened to her first boyfriend. She was seventeen and thought herself to be in love, but when her emotions got the better of her the darkness took over and took his life force. She woke, with no memory of what she’s done, next to the corps of her once boyfriend.

Sighing Alessia moves to stand up, Will following her. Alice continues to look between them, holding back a grin, but her right eyebrow twitches upwards. Certainly this can be an interesting thing between them that the younger woman hoped to see to the very end.

“It was Cyrus, that’s how I did it.” Alice tells him, sheathing her sword away as she walked over to them.

Will frowns at Alice confused, “What now? I didn’t see him **_here_** getting attacked.”

Alice gives him a look, “Bandersnatch’s are deadly, but they’re also dumb and have terrible eyesight. He taught me that.”

“ ** _Charming_**.” Will tells her sarcastically, Alessia smacking his arm with a shake of her head.

“I told him about how they scared me when I came to Wonderland as a child. So he taught me all about them.” Alice tells him, grateful for the other woman scolding him. “ ** _Know_** who you’re up against.”

The Grendel slowly stands, the trio turning to him, Alice moving closer to the other two. “You saved me, thank you.”

“Yeah, well bygones and all that. So that means we’re squared, **_right_**?” Will asked, watching the Grendel walking towards the knot and talking a hold of it. “Off the dinner menu?”

The Grendel stares at the image of someone destroying the things on the fireplace mantel, the people and the voices gone. “She’s gone.”

“Who was she?” Alice asked curiously.

The Grendel sighs, saying quietly, “My wife. I lost her long ago.”

Alice frowns sadly at him, as Will slowly gulps, his emotions showing at the whole situation with the Grendel and his pain. “I’m sorry.” Alice tells him sincerely.

“I thought I would die of heartbreak.” the Grendel turns to them. “But then I heard this object owned by the Red Queen.”

“The forget-me-knot.” Will muttered.

The Grendel nods, looking at the rope in his hands. “I stole it from her and brought it here. That night, two things happened.” he looks back at the three listening to him. “I saw my wife alive again, but for my crime she turned me into this.”

“The Red Queen destroyed your life.” Will says sadly.

Alessia looks over to Will to see the sadness and the heartbroken obvious on his face. She takes hold of his hand, squeezing comfortingly before looking back at the Grendel. Will looks over to Alessia before looking back at the creature too, squeezing her hand back in thanks. The Grendel looks between them, smiles sadly before answering the man.

“Yes, but I had no choice.”

Will shook his head, “You did what you had to do to be with the woman you love. There’s no crime in that. The only crime is what she did to **_you_**.”

The Grendel takes that in, knowing that the man knew of the pain he was feeling. That what he said earlier when he was tied up was nothing but the truth. He really **_did_** know how he was feeling, and wished that no one **_ever_** had to feel like that.

“Take it. It holds no value for me now.” he tells them, turning to them slightly.

Alice looks at him in surprise. “Thank you.”

“I hope it brings you what you desire.”

The Grendel then turns and walks away, Will looking after him sadly and something else that the witch could only describe as hurt mixed with anger, slowly starting to breathe hard. But it was also sadness for the once man. Something that has happened in Will’s past with the Red Queen must have cut deep to have him look like that. It had nothing to do with Anastasia, Alessia knew, yet it had **_everything_** to do with her. How messed up were all these fairytale characters were outside of the stories that all the mortals knew.

Alessia sighs, letting his hand go. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

She moves towards the knot and pulls down on the rope holding it up. Alice moves next to her and wraps it around her shoulder, both she and Will watching as Alessia moves a hand over her left hip. Her gun in its holster appeared, Alessia sighing quietly with relief. The two fairytale characters figured that she was used to having the weight of the gun on her. They all walked out of the house, the Grendel having disappeared somewhere, walking in the direction of the _Mimsy Meadow_.

Luckily for them it was close by. Alessia just wanted to be out of the _Whispering Woods_ , the noise getting on her last nervous. However they stopped by a stream and quckily cleaned up, Will also checking Alessia's head wound to make sure she didn't need stitches. Once they were on the regular path that only belonged to Wonderland the witch sighed with relief, shaking her head to rid of the noise. She had a feeling that the whispering will not leave her hearing for a good while.

“Aww,” Alessia suddenly said, touching her head, Will and Alice looking over to her. “My hats gone.”

Will smiled at her pouted lips, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “If we ever stopped or go near the Hatter’s home again, I’ll nab one for ya, Sia.”

Alessia smiles, bumping against him. “Thanks Will.”

“The way you talked to that monster. You were really getting through to him.” Alice suddenly says, Alessia groaning to herself.

“I’m a thief, playing parts is what we do.” Will tells her, looking over to Alice, dropping his arm from Alessia’s shoulders.

Alice shakes her head, “I don’t think you were playing a part. You were identifying with it.”

“Oh, bollocks.” Will muttered, looking forward with annoyance and exhausted with her constant observation.

“Is it?” Alice questioned, continuing forward with her questioning. “He was **_heartbroken_** and you saw that. And what of this mysterious Anastasia you never talk about? You said it was a tale of heartbreak.”

“It was.” Will tells her through gritted teeth.

Alice looks at him expectantly. “Well, what happened?”

“Doesn’t matter, she’s gone.”

“Maybe I can use the knot to get the answer?” Alice tells him smugly.

“Save it for your own answer. This thing can look into the past but it can’t do anything to change it. So let’s use it for what it **_can_** do. To change the future.” Will tells her, looking over to Alice, the forward. “We’ll find out who stole Cyrus’ bottle, okay? Get you one step closer to being together, then we’ll hand it over and make me square with the caterpillar.”

Alice wanted to continue to ask more questions, not deterred by Will’s constant push of the subject, but Alessia looked towards her. She shook her head when Alice flicked her eyes at her, Alessia’s gray/green eyes burning with warning for her to back off the subject. Alice sighs angrily, looking forward. Will takes hold of Alessia’s hand in his, slowing them down so that Alice can walk pass them. He leans over to her, tilting her head slightly as he looked towards Alice.

“Thank you,” he whispered quietly for Alessia to hear, looking at her.

Alessia smiles, looking over to him, whispering, “Your welcome.”

She leans forward and kissed his cheek, squeezing his hand, before letting it go and walking closer to Alice. Alessia didn’t know what possessed her to do that, but felt that she needed to do it. Will slows his walk even more, furrowing his brows as he looks after the witch. He felt almost… ** _alive_** from her lips touching his cheek. In the last couple of days since Alessia has come along with them in this journey his emotions have been out of order. There was no other way to describe it. Shaking his head Will pushed the emotions to the back of his mind. He didn’t need any more emotions when it came to women, but something was planted in his heart, even if it was tiny.

 ** _Hope_**.

 

**5**

 

The trio finally reached the dandelion and the empty hole, the three of them looking down at it, Alice nervous and anticipation. Alessia stood to Will’s right, looking around them. Always, since she’s entered Wonderland, the witch has felt someone staring and stalking them. Though she wasn’t sure if the person was staring and stalking all of them or **_one_** of them. Since the others haven’t really noticed–not that they would with their own problems surrounding them–Alessia hasn’t said anything. Though she wondered if she should.

“Are you ready?” Alice asked, looking up at Will.

“Let’s hurry, the sun will be settling soon and I got a debt to settle.” Will tells her, wanting to get this over with already.

They each take hold each side of the knot and looks towards the hole, waiting for an image to appear. Alice becomes impatient when not even a full minute has passed, making her frown with confusion.

“I don’t understand, why isn’t–” she started to question when Will interrupted her.

“ ** _Wait_**! Look,” Will nods at the image.

Alice gasps, “Rabbit?”

They follow him with the knot and sees the Red Queen. Alice felt betrayed, not able to believe what it was that she was seeing. Of all the people that she’s trusted and whom she thought would never betrayed her there in Wonderland would be the White Rabbit. Alessia, however, nods to herself, staring at the White Rabbit and the Red Queen.

“I don’t understand,” Alice starts.

She drops the knot, followed by the rest of the rope, and walks away before looking back at Will and Alessia. The witch, however was staring at Will who was furrowing his brows together with knowing. If she remembered correctly Will having been the Knave of Hearts was close to the Red Queen, so whatever she did wouldn’t have surprised him. Right?

“We were **_friends_**! How can he just betrayed me like that?” Alice demanded with so much hurt of a friend betraying her.

Will looks down at the knot before holding it up to stare at the Red Queen. There was that hurt mixed with anger emotion once again. Alessia now knew that whatever happened in his past that whatever brought out the emotion had **_definitely_** have to do with the Red Queen. At first the witch thought it might have to be with whatever Anastasia has done to him. But Will seeing the Red Queen made her think differently now.

“You’ll be surprised what some folks are willingly to do.” Will tells Alice quietly.

Alessia sighs, looking towards the Red Queen herself. “I **_knew_** the White Rabbit was up to something. Just the way he was acting, how we haven’t seen him in nearly a week or so?” she shook her head, “I should have done a truth spell on him.”

Will sighs, patting her shoulder before rolling up the rope and knot on to his shoulder this time. “Come one, let’s start making our way back to the caterpillar’s while we figure this out.”

As they walked down the unusual path Alice sighs with despair and hurt. Alessia frowns over to the younger woman and hugs her around the shoulders. She knew how it felt to be betrayed by those you would call friends. During her teenaged years Alessia trusted only one person with her secret and they went out and told the whole school until the witch hunters came after her. Alessia had to erase all their memories about her and her powers, as well as her friendship with the person.

Never again did she trust anyone with her secret. Until she met Emma, that is.

“The **_Rabbit_** , I would have never thought **_him_** capable in betraying me.” Alice tells them with much hurt.

“I’m sorry.” Will tells her truthfully.

“I knew there was something wrong,” Alessia tells them, shoving a hand through her hair. “I never trusted that damn White Rabbit.”

Alice shakes her head, trying her hardest not to cry from the betrayal. “Everything **_we’ve_** said, **_everything_** we’ve **_done_**. The Red Queen knows it all.”

“It’s probably a safe bet.” Will tells her, looking at her briefly.

“After we settle matters with the caterpillar it’s time to pay **_her_** a **_visit_**.” Alice tells them angrily.

“It looks like we’ll **_just_** make it.” Will said, stopping suddenly.

Alice frowns, looking back at him as she and the witch stopped. “What are you waiting for? Time to clear you name.”

“I’ve been thinking,” Will starts suddenly.

“Oh no,” Alice said worriedly.

Alessia grins to the younger woman before looking at Will who had ignored the comment. “And maybe you were right,” he tells her, touching the knot around his left shoulder. “Handing this thing back to the caterpillar might be a truly horrible idea.”

“What’d you mean?” Alice asked confused, though she was trying hard not to smile.

“Well, he’s not exactly Wonderland’s chief humanitarian, now, is he?” Will said rhetorically, grinning.

“No,” Alice said softly, grinning.

“Chances are he uses it for the same way he uses everything,” Will looks at her and Alessia sternly. “To **_work_** people.”

Alice shakes her head, frowning with concern. “But if you don’t hand it over to him, you’ll spend your remaining days as a desk ornament.”

“Uh-uh,” Will makes a noise, walking passed them.

“That **_thing_** is your key to freedom!” Alice tells him, walking after him. “For you to no longer be a **_hunted_** thief.”

“Actually,” Will starts, stopping and turning to her. “Being a thief ain’t up to nobody but **_me_**. If I give this to him, then I went to steal this thing for **_me_**. **_That_** makes me a thief. But if I **_don’t_** give it to him, well, then I got it for **_you_**.”

Alice curiously looks at Will, raising an eyebrow. “What does that make you then?”

“ ** _Hopefully_** someone with a shred of humanity left.” Will tells her, looking towards Alessia.

The witch stares back, not able to look away from Will’s hopeful intense stare. She knew that he’s been changing little by little since she’s arrived in Wonderland, and this turn around has made the change noticeable. How was she able to fault him from past deeds when he was trying so hard to change now? Besides, everyone deserves a second change, don’t they?

Alice smiles, “No hopefully about it.”

Will looks to Alice and smirks. He drops the rest of the rope from his shoulder, taking only the knot and holding it up. Will grins at the witch, wiggling his eyebrows at her. Alessia quietly holds back her laugh, smiling at the man. Normally she hated other people using the nickname Emma gave her, but the way he says it made her heart flutter.

“Say, Sia, can you do me the honors?”

Alessia smile’s formed into a grin and lights the knot on fire. It burns until it becomes a dust of black smoke, disappearing. Will looked at Alessia, the two women still looking up at the darkening sky, and smiled. There was definitely something there, no doubt about it, but with how this journey was going there was no time for it at the moment. Or even ever; not with how his past was.

Alessia looked at him and his heart skipped a beat. Oh, bloody hell. What was happening between them wasn’t going to end well. For **_either_** party.

 

**5**

 

The group started walking down the path and turned down another, away from the caterpillar’s place. They entered another forest, one that cut across close to the Red Queen’s palace. Alice was still insisting that they pay her a visit, to find out where Cyrus was located and getting the bottle back. The forest they were in was actually over run by everything green and large mushrooms. It made Alessia believe that the forests that they’ve all been to were part of the older Wonderland; before all the colors and the uniqueness of where they just came from. She actually liked the older part better, it seemed more… ** _fitting_** to the stories of Wonderland that she knew.

“Going after the Red Queen is a bad idea, Alice.” Will suddenly tells her desperately.

“She stole Cyrus’ bottle. The only chance to reason that Cyrus is well.”

Will jogs up to Alice to stand before her, all three of them stopping in the middle of the path. “So you’re going to go after the entire red army by yourself?”

“If that’s what it takes.” Alice tells him sternly.

Will sighs quietly. “There’s a smarter way to this.”

“Is there now?” Alice asked sarcastically.

Will slightly glares at her, “Play the hand you’ve been dealt, Alice.”

Alice almost scoffed, shaking her head at Will. “I’ve seen your cards, Knave, and they’re **_quite_** lacking.”

Will looks away, taking a deep breath to hold back his anger, before looking back at Alice a tad calmer. “Which is exactly the time to stop bluffing. Look, the White Rabbit, he has no idea that we know he’s working with the Red Queen. We need to use that to our advantage, fall him in to telling where Cyrus is.”

“Or we can just pick him up by the feet and dangle him over a cliff until he tell us everything he knows.” Alice told him, her eyes widening slightly for the effect she wanted.

Will purses his lips, leaning slightly forward. “We need to work on your poker face.”

“Over there!” a voice yelled close by, the trio looking around.

“Did you hear that?” Alice asked fearfully.

“I did.” Will and Alessia said in unison.

“Oh,” Alice takes hold of Will’s arm as the three of them duck low, hiding behind a thick and tall bush in front of them. “Someone’s following us.”

“By the sounds of things, I’d say several someone’s.” Will says, looking around them just in case someone moved past when they weren’t looking.

“Do you recognize them?”

Will looks through the bush they were hiding behind, narrowing his eyes to get a better. “They work for the caterpillar, they’re collectors.”

“What are our options?” Alice questioned.

“Well, basically we can **_die_** or we can **_run_**.”

Alice looks to Will, frowning. “I don’t particularly care for the first one.”

“Me either. Left or right?”

“Left!”

“Okay.”

They all quickly turn to their left and start running, jumping over fallen tree limbs and anything that can trip them. The collectors were very fast, able to get closer to them, so Alessia waved her hand over the ground, creating ice. A couple of them fell to the floor but the others was able to maneuver around it. Jumping over another set of fallen limbs, Will picks up a stick and throws it at the front guy of the group, making him trip against the tree limbs. The others tripped over him but a couple were able to jump over them and continue on.

Having the upper hand the trio sees a large tree trunk and quickly hid inside it, as the middle has been broken open, Will keeping Alessia close to him, his arm around her waist. They were panting, peeking slightly around the trunk of the tree, seeing a couple of the collectors slowly walking into the clearing they were in, looking around.

“I’m the one they want. We should split up.” Will pants, his arm tightening around Alessia’s waist.

Alice shook her head, opening her mouth to say something but Alessia beat her to it. “We should stay and fight.”

Will looks to her, cupping her face. “Or I got a better idea, you two stay and **_I’ll go_**.” Will tells them before standing up. “Oy! Over here!”

“Will, no!” Alice cried out, concerned for him as he moves out of the trunk.

Will stops and looks at them, staring solely at Alessia. “I’ll be fine, I know these woods like the back of my hands.” he turns to run but trips over a tree root, quickly getting up. “I’m fine! Meet you back at _Tulgey_.” he yells at them over his shoulder before continuing to run.

“Will!” Alice sighs, grasping the pendant. “It’s okay Cyrus, this is just a detour. I’ll be with you soon.”

Alessia sighs, falling on to her knees as she listens to anymore collectors. Will shouldn’t have the reason to run. The witch should have made him stay as she used her powers on them. Too bad Will was against her using her magic for fear that the darkness will take over, even if it **_was_** for him to stay with them and not split up. Now they just needed to wait until the other collector continued on before they can get to _Tulgey_. Alessia just hoped that Will well be able to meet them there too.


	7. Chapter 7

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 7**

Alessia and Alice looked around the tree stump to the doors that was the entrance to the world of Underland and the caterpillar. The two women waited half the day for Will at _Tulgey_ when Alessia felt that something had happened to Will. They quickly moved the next day to reach the caterpillar’s by noon–not that you can really tell the time as it is all jumbled together as one. They looked over the side to see someone coming out of the doors, drunkenly walking away.

Alice moves forward first, unsheathing her sword as Alessia takes hold of one of the daggers on her thigh and places a hand on Alice’s, stopping her. Alice looks back at her confused when Alessia quickly turns and throws her dagger, the person wearing all leather with a cloak, a covering across their mouth, and a hat slanted slightly forward moves out of the way. The dagger was embedded against the mushroom behind them, their eyes wide as they looked back at the witch with surprise.

“Whoa, how’d you know I was here?” the unknown female asked.

“I’m just that good,” Alessia tells her, grabbing the other thigh dagger.

The unknown female chuckles, shaking her head. “Well, he’s not in there.”

“Who’s not in there?” Alice asked carefully, confused.

“The knave of hearts. He ain’t in there.” she tells them, crossing her arms.

Alessia raises an eyebrow, her hand tightening around the handle of the dagger. “How do you know?”

“Because if he **_was_** ,” she pulls down the covering, “ ** _I’ll_** be inside collecting a reward.

“You’re one of those collectors that was chasing him.” Alice says, moving forward with her sword pointing at her.

“And unfortunately **_not_** the one catching him.”

“Wait, **_did_** someone catch him?” Alice asked confused.

“I can tell ya. You see I got this **_thing_** where it’s hard for me to be straight with people pointing a swords at me.” Alice looks over to Alessia, who nods at her, and lowers her sword. “The Red Queen got him.”

Alice eyes widen slightly with surprise. “Are you quite sure?”

The woman nods, “Oh yeah I got the bruises to prove it.”

Alessia groans as Alice sighs quietly. The witch moves pass them and over to the mushroom to take hold of her dagger. She had to wonder why she didn’t feel the Red Queen’s presence when she had captured Will. Unless her majesty wasn’t there to do the capturing. However, how else were they able to capture Will if the Red Queen didn’t use whatever powers she had? Because Alessia knew that she had powers. It called out to the darkness inside her when the three of them had looked through the knot.

“Well, I know what I have to do. Thank you Miss...?” she trailed off, waiting for her to say a name.

“Elizabeth,” she smiles, bowing her head slightly, “but most people call me Lizard.”

“Alice. That is Alessia.” Alice nodded over to the witch, “Wish us luck.”

Alice and Alessia walk pass Lizard, whom turns to follow them. “Whoa, whoa wait.” Lizard starts with disbelief at what she was hearing. “You’re going after him?”

“No, we’re going after **_her_**.”

Lizard scoffed at that. “Huh, the Red Queen? You two can’t go in there by yourselves!” she tells them with disbelief.

“Why does **_everybody_** keep telling me that?” Alice asked with frustration, turning to Lizard

“Maybe because it’s true?” both Alessia and Lizard tells her in unison, making glare further with annoyance.

“Fine, the hell with it. I’m coming with you two.” Lizard tells them casually.

Alice frowns as Alessia grins, liking the other woman. “I’m **_quite certain_** I didn’t ask you to.”

“Whatever, the Knaves owes me and uh,” Lizard starts to say, moving past both Alice and Alessia. “Dead man can’t pay debts.”

Alice frowns with confusion as Alessia slaps her shoulder, shaking her head. “Don’t dwell on it too much. Come on,”

The two companions met up with Lizard, who looked over to the witch. “How **_did_** you really do that with your dagger? How’d you know I was there?”

Alessia smirks, looking forward. “Sorry Lizard, but that’s something I can’t indulge with ears opened and going back to the Red Queen.” she looks at the slightly taller woman, “Maybe after we get Will I’ll let you know who I am.”

Lizard frowns, tilting her head at that. “Well, can you at least tell me what is that strange contraption on your hip is?”

“It’s a weapon that is widely used in my world,” Alessia looks to Alice, nodding. “ ** _Our_** world. Though this weapon is mostly used in my time.” Lizard frowns even more with confusion, the witch laughing. “It’s a long story.”

Lizard shrugs, smirking. “It’s a long walk.”

Alessia laughs, “Both me and Alice are from the same world, but from different times. It was the White Rabbit’s doing, **_though_** it was a **_different_** White Rabbit that had brought me here. Except I don’t think he meant to bring me to **_this_** Wonderland.”

This time it was Alice turn to frown. “What do you mean? There’s only **_one_** Wonderland.”

Alessia shakes her head, “It’s complicated and only a theory.”

The other two women frowned, but didn’t ask any more as they can tell that the witch was just as confused of the theory that she had. Once she had it straighten out perhaps Alessia will share that complicated theory to them. For now they needed to focus on getting Will back as the Red Queen was a tricky evil woman who seemed to know what it was that Alice was going to do, having dealt with Alice only twice before. They finally got out of the pathway where everything was big and into the normal pathway.

“The Queen’s palace is a tricky place.” Alice starts, wanting to get a plan going.

Lizard smirks, chuckling quietly. “I know. I, um, pickpocket the Tweedles every six months or so.”

Alice looks to her with surprise. “And you never got caught?”

Lizard slightly shrugs, grinning proudly. “Learned from the best!”

“The Knave?” Alice questioned knowingly.

“Of course.”

Alice continued to stare at Lizard intently with curiosity. “You’re not doing this for repayment of a financial debt, are you?

Lizard hesitates to lie but in the end she takes off her hat. They stopped, Lizard turning to the other two women. Though it was mostly Alice who was curious as Alessia merely wanted to continue on their way to the Queen’s palace. The witch did feel sorry for the other woman having to deal with Alice and her constant curiosity.

“I was on the streets.” she tells them with a shrug of her shoulders. “He took me in, gave me a place to sleep. Taught me everything I know.”

“Well, sorry to hear that.” Alice tells her sincerely for her rough past.

“Come on,” Lizard starts with a soft scoff, “I know he can be difficult, but his heart is in the right place thanks to you.”

Alice smiles at that. “Sounds like you two were close friends.” Lizard looks down, smiling, “Unless…wait, were you two?” she trailed off the question.

“No! Uh, no, I mean…” Lizard trails off with a scoff, “I would never! Will and I…we just **_ran_** together. You know, **_stealing_**. Sometimes for the caterpillar and…sometimes just for fun.” she smiled at the last part, wishing for the present to be the same as the past not for the last time.

Alice frowned disapproving, “You’d rob people for fun?”

“Will kind of went through a dark period after the whole Anastasia thing.” Lizard tells them quietly, not knowing if she should say something about it or not.

“There’s that name again– ** _Anastasia_**! Who **_is_** this girl?” Alice asked curiously, desperately wanting to know.

“Don’t go knocking on the devil’s door, Alice.” Alessia tells her, finally speaking up, “Because eventually **_somebody_** will answer.” Alice went to argue, but Alessia shook her head. “ ** _No_**! Will didn’t want you to know, so why go behind his back trying to find out who this chick is?”

“Because I want to know what was so bad that she made Will as he is?” Alice tells her, a bit angrily. “There’s no harm in trying to help out a friend!”

“There’s helping,” Alessia starts just as angrily. “And there’s being **_noisy_**!”

Alice went to say something back but Lizard spoke up, gaining the other two’s attention. “Never met her but whoever she is she completely wrecked him. Everyone says Will left Wonderland ‘cause of his debts, but I don’t think so. This place,” Lizard motions her arm around them, slowly walking forward once again. “Reminded him of her. I think he just couldn’t take it anymore.”

Alessia looks out into the distance, taking in the information they just heard. Sometimes, and not for the last time, the witch wondered what it was like to fall in love. Or, at least, love someone so much that you would do anything to get them back or write off love forever. Alessia wants to love freely but was so afraid of the darkness taking over her again and destroying that love, giving her no chances to explore further on it. Alessia was brought out of her thoughts when they noticed a crowd of people standing around a board, a man walking towards them with a fool’s grin on his lips.

“Excuse me,” Alice calls out to the man, who had stopped. “What’s going on here?”

“There’s going to be an execution!” he tells them excitedly before walking off.

The three women looked at each other with frowns before walking forward, the crowd’s excited talks getting louder the closer they got. Alessia felt immediate dread that was heavy on her heart and her shoulders. She distinctly heard Alice asking the people to move aside so that they can walk towards the front to see who it was that was going to get executing that day. Alessia can hear some of the people say that it was about time and that justice was finally being served. She, like Alice, was getting frustratingly annoyed with the crowd not moving so before Alice can solve that issue Alessia did it for her.

“ ** _Move_**!” the witch growled, using her magic to push the crowd.

The people gasped and looked towards the witch with absolute fear. Alessia didn’t even give the crowd a glance as she and Alice moved towards the board filled with posters. Alice’s eyes widen at what it was she was seeing and reading, Alessia feeling her heart dropping. Her blood ran cold as the witch felt nothing but fear of what she was seeing. Lizard was the only one who hadn’t moved from the crowd, waiting for either of the other women to say something.

“What’s it say?” Lizard finally asked.

“The Knave.” Alice starts, turning towards Lizard with absolute fear. “They’re executing him **_today_**.”

Breathing hard the witch muttered a curse and pushed through the people, her steps wide and quick in the same direction that they were heading from the start. Between all that they’ve been through and **_all_** he’s done to help keep the darkness away there was no way in hell Alessia was going to let him loose his head. Both Lizard and Alice caught up with the witch, taking hold of her arms, stopping her.

“Alessia, **_wait_** , you don’t know where the palace is located.” Alice tells her softly, just as fearful for her friend.

The witch shook her head but Lizard spoke up just as softly. “We’re going to get him back, Alessia. We’re going to get him **_back_**!”

Alessia inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she tried to calm down. The feeling of dread still hadn’t left her heart and shoulders but as the witch opens her eyes nothing but determination and fury could be seen. Alice and Liard looked towards each other and seemed to have a private conversation and led the way towards the Red Queen’s palace.

 

**5**

 

_“So…you’re a witch?” Emma asked carefully with furrow brows._

_Alessia nods, playing with her coffee cup. Emma brought her to a café that was opened late and served actual cups, none of the plastic cups some of the other places used. They had sat down near the large window in the corner, far away from any eavesdroppers. Not that they would believe what they were hearing, but just in case somebody was or knew a witch hunter. Alessia particularly didn’t want to go through what she had to earlier that night._

_“Yes.” Alessia answered Emma’s question._

_Emma frowned even more, “And the man burning in the fire you created was a…witch hunter?”_

_Alessia nods, “Yes.”_

_Emma sighs, shaking her head as she drinks some of her coffee. “Man, if I didn’t see it for my own eyes I’d have thought you crazy or something.” she stopped her cup midway and looked at Alessia with wide eyes. “ **I’m** not going crazy, am I?”_

_Alessia chuckles, “No, you’re not.”_

_“Good, I feel like I have enough problems in my own life.” Emma mutters, finishing her coffee. “And your father comes from a line of dark witches?”_

_“Yes,” Alessia tells her quietly ashamed._

_“And what you did to the witch hunter was the darkness taking over?” Alessia nods, looking at her cup only. “Well, I say that it was self-defense in my books.” Alessia’s head snapped up at that in surprise, Emma shrugging like it was nothing. “What? It **was**!”_

_Shaking her head, Alessia frowned at the other woman. “So, will you keep my secret?” she asked shyly, her hands tightening around her cup._

_Emma smiles understandingly, reaching over and covering her hands around the cup. “You found a family member for life, Sia.” Alessia was taken aback by the nickname, “I’ll keep your secret to my grave.”_

_Smiling in return, Alessia moved one of her hands from Emma’s and took hold of it, squeezing in thanks. “Family for life…Em.”_

 

**5**

 

It took some doing but with the help of both Lizard and Alessia they three women were able to sneak into the courtyard. They made sure to keep an eye on the guards as they made themselves blend against the back of the crowd. They looked up to see the executioner on the platform

“What’s the catapult for?”

The executioner swung down his single blade axe on a watermelon, one half falling on the side and the other rolling down the long tube towards the catapult. The guard standing on the ground was waiting for the watermelon to reach its destination.

“If you catch the head, you get a free dinner.” Lizard explained as the guard guided the half watermelon to where it needed to be.

“Make it a good one!”

“Make his head fly!”

A couple of people yelled out as the guard pulled down on the lever. Everyone went quiet as they watched the watermelon fly over the gate. When it did the crowd cheered and clapped, wanting some more demonstration. The three women looked on appalled at what they were seeing, a couple of more people yelling out.

“That was a beauty!”

“Still barbaric as ever.” Alice comments, the women turning forward.

Alessia scoffs, “That’s putting it mildly.”

A fanfare blows and they look up at the balcony, someone yelling, “Hail the Queen,” as soon as she walked out. The crowd clapped and cheered, waving their hands up at her. The Red Queen smiles and waves down at the crowd, the three women glaring at her from the ground. Alessia desperately wanted to use her powers to get it over with but knew that if she was to do so there was no turning back from the darkness. Whatever powers the Red Queen had the darkness inside wants it badly that it was pulling even more fiercely than before.

“We have to save Will.” Alice tells them angrily.

“You have an idea?” Lizard asked, looking over to Alice before looking around the courtyard. “Because this is looking bleak.”

“As a matter of fact I do.” Alice said, staring at the executioner with narrowed eyes.

Lizard frowns, looking at Alice confused as Alessia sees what the younger was planning. She nods her head in consent at Alice, whom looked to her for confirmation of the plan. Nodding back Alice beckons Lizard to follow, keeping an eye on the guards in front of the platform, whom were now not paying attention whatsoever. The other guards have gone inside the castle, probably to retrieve Will to bring out, while the Red Queen and the guards on the balcony were not looking down at that moment.

As they entered the castle they saw the robes belonging to the executioner turn around the corner. They quickly rushed forward, careful to keep an eye out for any other guards coming from the many corridors the first floor seemed to have. Looking around the corner they saw the executioner slowly making his way down the corridor, Alice letting them know that the needed to knock him out. Without warning Lizard quickly moving forward, her steps quiet as a cat. She called out to him, the executioner turning around. Lizard quickly punched him, the executioner hitting his head against the stone wall before slumping to the ground, his axe clattering to the floor.

Alice and Alessia ran down the hall, Alice leaning down and quickly undressing the man. “Okay, you two go out and find a way out of the maze. The best way for me and Will to get out of the courtyard is by that catapult.”

“I’ll be on the other side of that wall,” Alessia tells her. “Making sure that you guys have a safe landing.”

Alice nods at that and quickly changes. Lizard ties up the unconscious executioner and dragged him, with the help of Alessia, into a small room. They heard noises coming down from the main hallway, Alessia and Lizard going inside with the unconscious man just as Alice placed the mask on. There were a couple of guards guiding Will towards the entrance of the courtyard, Alice picking up the axe from the floor.

“Okay, go!”

The two women rushed out of the small room and ran down the hall, Lizard knowing a small opening to the outside. Once out in the maze Lizard pointed to the left Alessia needed to go before going straight. The witch ran as fast as she could, knowing that it wasn’t going to take too long for them to be flying over the wall. She came to a complete halt, seeing another crowd with less fine clothing waiting and looking up at the wall. Looking up too Alessia tapped her hands against her thighs nervously, wondering what was taking so long. Already they heard gasps and cries from the crowd inside the palace walls.

Finally Will and Alice was seen flying over and Alessia quickly turned around and made a water bubble the expanded the small open space before the doors of the palace. Both Will and Alice splashed inside, sinking to the floor, Alessia dropping the bubble. Water splashed all over, neither Alice or Will wet thanks to Alessia. Will grinned at the witch, who smiled back before rushing pass them, yelling at the same time.

“Let’s get the hell out of here!”

Alice and will didn’t need to be told twice as they were right on her heel. They followed Alessia who was feeling Lizard’s presences, letting that guide her. There was no out loud agreement between the witch and Lizard, but somehow they knew that they were to meet up once Alessia, Alice, and Will were far away from the palace and the Red Queen’s guards. Coming to an open space were there was multiple opens the trio stopped, wondering which way to go now.

“I thought I was bollocked.” Will commented, slightly out of breath.

Alice, panting, looked over to him. “If the executioner have been six inches taller, you would have been.”

Will looks at her before looking around once more, then back at Alice and Alessia. “All right. How the bloody hell do we get out of here?”

Lizard puts a hand on Will’s shoulder–startling the poor man–the three of them turning to her. “Come on, this way.”

“Lizard! You knocked him out cold!” Alice commented, not able to believe that it took one try, making Lizard smile shyly.

“What were you thinking?” Will asks them, furrowing his eyebrows at Lizard before looking over to Alice and Alessia. “You all could have been killed.”

Alice raises an eyebrow, trying not to smile, but not succeeding. “A simple ‘thank you’ would suffice.”

“Thank you,” Will tells both Alice and Alessia before turning to Lizard. “You too, Lizard.”

Lizard flushes, smiling as she looks down at the complement. However before she can say anything voices could be heard echoing around the walls and above them. Lizard knew that they weren’t too far away as she’s been in the maze **_and_** the palace long enough to know who was close or not.

“We got company, we better go!” Lizard tells them, motioning them to follow her.

They all start running once again, Alessia actually getting dizzy from all the green and colored pathway flying past them. Finally an open way could be seen and they all ran faster, coming into an open court yard with tall chess pieces as decorations. They were going to continue to run straight through when suddenly Jafar flies down on his magic carpet, blocking their only exit, Alice eyes widening.

“Hello Alice.” Jafar says smugly, his eyes flickering over to Alessia since she was dressed strangely but like Will.

“Who the hell is that?” Lizard questioned, panting.

“I’ll tell you later, we need to get out of here.” Alice tells them, turning to run but the Red Queen comes out, blocking their other exit.

The Red Queen grins evilly at them, though she lingered questioning gazed at Alessia. “Leaving so soon?”

“I’ll distract ‘em, you guys run.” Lizard tells them, turning to Will.

Before Lizard can turn and throw the knife at Jafar Alessia takes hold of her arm, shaking her head. Lizard seemed to have understood the meaning and fearfully looked between the two evil beings blocking their only exits.

“I suppose it’s time we met. My name–” Jafar starts, but is quickly interrupted.

“I know who you are, Jafar,” the sorcerer narrowed his eyes at Alice, “Cyrus has told me all about you.”

“Interesting. It seems I have learned a little about you today as well Alice.”

“And what was that?”

“That you are willingly to do **_anything_** for a friend.” Jafar looks over to Will, who looks towards him. “Quite touching, actually.”

Will beings to gasp, touching his neck at whatever invisible being was crushing his windpipe as he is being lifted into the air. Both Alessia and Lizard took a step forward but stopped, not knowing how to help him when they couldn’t see the enemy. Alessia’s hand, however, twitched, her eyes locking with that of Will’s. His eyes widen, telling her everything that she needed to know that he didn’t want her to use magic. Alessia tightened her jaw as her hands became fists, trying hard to hold back the darkness inside.

“Stop it, he’s done nothing!” Alice beings to form tears, watching the pain Will’s in, “ ** _Please_** , I beg you!”

“You don’t have to beg, **_Alice_**.” Jafar tells her, “Just wish.”

“Anastasia,” Will gasps at the Red Queen.

Surprised and taken by surprise the three women looked towards the Red Queen, whose own eyes widen with fear. They can see that had obviously swallowed hard, looking towards Jafar, but not doing anything to stop him and the pain he was inflecting on Will.

Eyes wide the Red Queen look towards Alice, “Just…make a **_bloody_** wish, Alice!”

Before Alice can utter a word to make a wish to save Will the darkness inside Alessia finally snapped. She threw her left arm towards Jafar, who started to gasp himself as the water surrounded him, entering his mouth. She vaguely heard Will falling to the floor, gasping for breath as he looked up at Alessia. Seeing the flicker of Jafar’s eyes go towards the Red Queen the witch threw her right arm at the Red Queen, looking towards her, surrounding her and her group in fire, all of them beginning to suffocate from the hot flames.

Will called out her name, going to his knees as both Alice and Lizard go to either side of him, helping him stand. Alessia grins darkly at the Red Queen, who was trying to use her powers but not able to, before looking towards the sorcerer. Jafar frowned at the witch, wondering how it was possible for her to have such power–power that he truly wanted to possess for himself. He’s never felt such powerful magic before and he desperately wanted to take it from the woman once he was able to.

“Alessia!” Will yells, getting his breath back, though still gasping. “Alessia, come back! Don’t let the darkness win!”

Alessia turns to him, her once gray/green eyes having become black. The other two girls gasped at the darkness in her eyes and features on her face, not seeing the once gentle woman they have come to know. Will moves towards her, his hazel eyes not leaving her black ones, frowning with despair at what he was seeing.

“Alessia, please don’t do this.” Will says quietly, but there was no indication that the witch even heard him. “ ** _Sia_**!” he said her nickname in desperate hope.

He saw a flicker of the Alessia he knew in her eyes, her original color showing fear before the blackness took over. Not knowing what else he can do Will took her face and kissed her. He felt the witch wanting to struggle against him, her black eyes narrowing with anger at him. However he saw her gray/green color slowly coming back to her eyes, Will easing back but not letting her face go.

Alessia finally gasped, dropping her arms and the elements that have surrounded the two evil beings. Knowing that they were in danger right then and there Alessia let the last bit of dark magic inside her loose, transporting them all away from the Red Queen’s maze and into a forest. Alessia fell to her knees, grasping the ground as she gasped, letting the tears of fear go. She felt Will fall on to his knees before her and grasp her shoulders. Looking up at him, the witch beings to sob, falling against him as Will hugs her tightly, concerned and fearful of what had almost happened.

Lizard looked over to Alice, frowning with confusion and fear of what she had seen. “What the **_hell_** was that?” she questioned.

Alice continued to look at the couple on the floor, her brows furrowed together. “I believe that was the darkness inside the witch she had warned us about.”

Lizard frowned even more with confusion, shaking her head. “ ** _Witch_**?”

“Yes,” Alice nods, looking over to Lizard. “Alessia’s a witch.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be going back and forth between the two worlds from here on out. It might be a while though as I'm going to see how each of the episodes for both shows go before deciding in how I'm going to take the story. Also the White Rabbit mentioned on here is from Tim Burton's Alice and Wonderland version, just so you guys can have a better visual of the White Rabbit. Please let me know what you guys think and thank you so much for reading!! :)

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 8**

_“Sia, don’t!” Emma yelled, wide eyes at her best friend._

_Cora, the evil queen’s–Regina Mills–mother, had provoked the year younger woman after she and her daughter were able to bust into Rumpelstiltskin–Mr. Gold–shop, not knowing of Alessia’s powers or the darkness dwelling inside. So when Regina made a fireball and threw it at Emma Alessia pushed David–Prince Charming–back as she moved forward. Now the witch has been slightly taken over by the darkness, no other magic able to stop her. Cora tried to use her powers to stop the witch, even to transport behind her, but she was not able to do so and was in the same bind as her daughter._

_The invisible force that was choking them came to as a surprise, never having been on the receiving end when they had become powerful. Sure when they were naïve and learning to magic they felt it but not once they had full power. They stared wide eyed with surprise and confusion, staring at the witch before them. Though, of course, neither of the evil women knew that she was a witch as Alessia and Emma had kept it secret since they’ve come to_ Storybrooke _and the curse has been broken._

_“Alessia!” Emma cried out fearfully, moving forward but David stopped her._

_As soon as the cruse broke both women found out that David and Mary Margaret–who was Snow White–were Emma’s parents. Though Henry, Emma’s son whom she gave up when she was eighteen and in prison, has been trying to tell his mother from the very start of who her true parents were. To this day Emma still didn’t believe it– **didn’t** want to believe it._

_Emma frowned with fear at the other woman, grinning with such evil she’s only seen once before long ago. “Alessia!”_

_A flicker of recognition in the witch’s eyes could be seen but the darkness did not let her go–didn’t want to let go. Emma finally broke free from her father’s arms and rushed forward. She grabbed Alessia’s arm, placing her other hand to her face, fear gripping for her possibly losing her best friend. Her only family, really, who’s been with her and knows all of her for a couple of years now._

_“Alessia! **Fight it**! I know you got the strength! Don’t be like your father, **damn it**!” the black of her eyes flickered to her gray/green eyes, Emma’s hope rising. “Fight it, Sia! **Fight**!”_

_Crying out Alessia dropped her powers, tears slowly falling down her as she gasped of what she has almost done. Both evil women fell to their knees, holding on to their necks as Regina looks up Alessia differently before thrusting her hands towards her and Emma. The two friends flew against the side wall, hitting it hard and falling to the floor. Cora looked up as David rushed towards them with his sword high up before flinging him out the door and closing it while she was at it._

_Emma groaned, slowly getting to her feet as Regina rushed towards her. Neal–Rumpelstiltskin’s son and named Baelfire–rushed towards Cora, who disappeared in purple smoke, but dropping the Dark One’s dagger. When Cora appeared near her daughter, Regina made the mistake of looking back at her. Emma was quick to grab a nearby dagger and turned Regina around, placing the dagger to her neck. Both Neal and Cora looked at each other and the Dark One’s dagger on the floor. Neal asked Cora what she was going to do when Regina called for her mother._

_Alessia sighed awake, pushing up on her hands when she saw Cora flying the dagger to her. She looked to Emma who had nodded and pushed Regina forward while Alessia flung the evil queen to her mother, the both of them falling against the glass casing. Emma yelled to Neal to fall back to Rumpelstiltskin as she helped Alessia to her feet. Emma used the invisible chalk on the doorway to enter the back, standing back just as a force field came up. Emma pushed both Neal and Alessia further to the back to protect the dying man._

_Emma stopped Alessia and looked at her, grabbing her face with concern. Alessia nodded her head, wiping her tears from her face. Emma’s phone than rang, Alessia inhaling and looking away. Neal was looking at her strangely, holding the sword in his hand even more tightly._

_“I’m not evil Neal,” she tells him quietly, shrugging with a sarcastic smile. “I just have evil **in** me.”_

_“What’s the difference?” Neal asked utterly confused._

_“That Sia **chooses** not to be evil.” Emma tells him, walking over to Alessia and putting an arm around her shoulders. “Evil runs through her veins but Sia **chooses** to not let it take over or take control. **That** is the differences.”_

_Alessia smiled shyly at her words, looking down at the floor. “You may have fought me for over eleven years, but you will **always** be of **Balcoin** decent!”_

_The witch looked up with fear of the dark voice she’s never heard before. Looking around she saw that Emma and Neal have frozen on the spot. Turning out of Emma’s arms she looked towards Rumpelstiltskin to see he, too, had froze._

_“I **will** take over your body, your mind,” the dark voice chuckled, Alessia feeling a grip around her tightening, making her pant for breath. “And your **powers**!”_

_“ **No**.” Alessia gasped, her heart thumping wildly._

_“ **Yesss**! And you will have wished that you have let me taken over you on your sixteenth birthday!” Alessia continued to pant, moving around her frozen friends, falling to her knees near the table. “Because you would have none of these friends you care so deeply about to let me now kill them.”_

_Alessia shook her head, tears falling down her face as she yelled out, “ **No**!”_

 

**5**

 

“No!” Alessia cried as she lunged forward.

Her eyes were wide with fear as her heart thumped wildly, deafening her hearing. She was breathing uncontrollably, feeling a warm pressure around her waist. Alessia was then brought close against a hard and warm body, the familiar smell of leather and coffee wafting up her nose, immediately feeling at ease as she knew who it was. Her sobs came hard and unstable, feeling the person’s other hand brushing against her hair before holding the back of her head against his neck.

The loudness in her ears begun to subside, the witch hearing a male’s British voice telling her that everything was going to be all right. Alessia gripped his shirt, pressing her mouth against the fabric to keep her sobs quiet and not be carried. She had remembered where she was as well as what she had shown to the two vilest enemies in that world. But most of all of the darkness that had consumed her and the power that she had strived to release upon both the Red Queen and Jafar.

Now they know of her secret and the power that she held inside. Not only will they be coming after Alice but for her as well. She needed to leave Wonderland, **_soon_** or else that darkness that resides in her will consume whichever evil being gets to her first. And doesn’t get killed by the darkness that is.

Exhaling shakily Alessia let herself be held for a bit longer, feeling more alone than ever, her sobs becoming nothing more than hiccups. She felt Will turn his head and kissed her forehead, his lips pressing hard against her skin. Her hands gripped tighter of the fabric of his shirt before pulling back slowly. She looked up as Will looked down at her, the Knave of Hearts seeing the fear in her bright eyes.

“Oh love,” Will muttered quietly, his hand leaving the back of her head and to touch her cheek. “It’s all right now, you won’t need to fear that darkness anymore.”

Alessia swallowed hard, “No, it will come back. It **_always_** comes back and this time it **_spoke_** to me!” she said with a cry, “It spoke to me in my dream and it’s going to kill **_everyone_** I **_love_**!”

Will sighs, brushing a stray tear that Alessia didn’t know had fell. “So long as you remember that you are **_not_** that darkness, it will not have a strong hold on you.”

Alessia shakes her head, trying to hold her tears back. “The darkness inside comes from a long line of Balcoin and Blackwell witches that were **_evil_** , there **_is_** no resisting.”

“Then how was Emma able to keep it at bay?” Will asked confused.

“She’s the savior for all those from the _Enchanted Forest_ that were stuck in _Storybrooke_.” she gave him a wry grin, “Plus we **_understand_** each other, she knows the right words of what to say. How you were able to get through to me, however, I’m not even sure.”

Will smiled softly, “Maybe I just got lucky.”

Alessia realized how close they were and flushed, pulling back away. Will merely grinned, not letting his hand leave her face or his other arm from around his waist. It was a position that seemed more than just friends, something that Alessia did not want to explore for fear of getting close or hurting everyone involved.

“Oh, good, you’re awake.” Alessia pulled back further and smiled up at Alice, who was smiling back, a twinkle in her green eyes. “You gave us quite a scare back at the Red Queen’s palace.”

The witch cringed, “Sorry, I just snapped when I saw Will was in trouble. Besides, we couldn’t have you making your first wish,” she gave the younger girl a knowing look. “Even if it was to save a friend.”

Alice looked between the witch and the Knave of Hearts with a look neither of them can decipher. Though Alessia didn’t want to look too deep in what the look meant with the knowing fact that the Queen of Hearts is now Anastasia, whom was–or probably still is–the love of Will’s life. There was no future that the witch can see, not with how complicated both of their lives were at that moment. Lizard than came into the line of the fire roaring in the middle of the camp someone had made, holding up a bag at the three friends.

“Brought food.” she stopped in her track at the sight of the witch, not knowing what to say to her.

Alessia looked at her with pity and guilt. “I’m really sorry to have scared you guys. I even scare myself to see what I am doing but not able to stop it.” she explained sheepishly.

Lizard frowns, passing around bread she snagged. “So when this…darkness takes over you know what you’re doing but can’t stop it?”

Alessia nods, breaking the bread she was given in half and gave the other half to Will. “Yeah, the darkness is like another personality inside you. Kind of like, um,” she bit her lower lip, trying to find the right words. “Like you’re a puppet and someone took over your body, your every movement.”

Lizard made a face, “Ugh, I’m sorry!”

Alessia gave her a wry smile but did not comment. The others have continued to talk amongst themselves as Alessia was lost in thought. She had a bad feeling that something was happening in Neverland, that Emma needed her more than ever. Suddenly a portal opened across the fire, all of them quickly getting up and holding out their weapons. Will had taken the two daggers hidden on Alessia’s back, twirling them once as they waited to see what was to come out of the portal. Alessia made a fireball appear in her hand just as the figure came flying out. Her eyes then widen, taken aback by the figure what she saw, distinguishing the fireball.

“ ** _You_**!” Alessia growled, glaring at the White Rabbit that had taken her from Neverland in the first place. “What the **_hell_** did you do? I need to get back to Neverland, damn it!”

The White Rabbit hopped over to the witch, looking sheepish at the floor, wringing his hands together nervously. Unlike the one she has come to know in **_that_** Wonderland, the one standing before them was a bit fatter and fluffier, it’s fur pure white rather than white/gray of the other Rabbit. He was shorter, its legs like that of a real rabbit rather than standing up straight. He wore no glasses, or pants, or a hat but he did wear a waistcoat with a blue jacket over it instead of the full white suit and shoes.

“I am truly sorry, I have been looking for the girl name Alice– ** _the_** Alice–to save us from the Red Queen.” he explained, sheepishly looking at her in the eyes, “When I heard that other girl start to say your name I thought perhaps you were the one. But when I realized that you did not come with me I knew I was mistaken. It took me some time to find you again, especially after finding **_the_** Alice, but now I am here to take you back to your friends.”

“But how can someone be **_the_** Alice if my name is Alice?” Alice asked confused, putting her sword away.

The White Rabbit sighed, nervously wringing his hands once again. “It seems that I was able to travel between different dimensions.”

Alessia scoffs to herself, shaking her head. “So my theory was right? There are different kinds of Wonderlands?”

The White Rabbit nods, “Yes, all of them different but the story of Alice and her adventures stay the same.” his nose twitched, tilting his head to the side, “Well, for the most part. For example my world is actually called **_Underland_** , not Wonderland like Alice called it.”

Nodding, Alessia takes back her daggers from Will and shoulders her bag, nodding to the right Rabbit who had taken her from her friends. “Take me back to Neverland. Something is wrong, I can feel it, and my friends need all the help that they can get.”

The White Rabbit gives her a curt nod and turns his back to them. He taps the ground with his right foot and a blue portal slowly appears before it grew bigger, making him turn back, the wind from the portal blowing anything near it inside.

“It will only close after you go in, otherwise it will stay open.” he waits until Alessia nods her understanding before continuing, “Again, I am sorry for the mix up, as well as bringing you to this world instead of mine.”

Alessia sighs, shaking her head. “Not to worry, White Rabbit. **_This_** Wonderland is the right one for me as it connects me to my friends. That’s probably the reason why I didn’t go to your world but rather this one.”

The White Rabbit seems to understand the logic and smiles. Between saving **_the_** Alice and helping her in saving their world and the girl he had lost through the portal, the Rabbit had come to the same conclusion and wondered how he was going to find her. Truthfully the only reason he was in the world she was in in the first place was due to the portal having gone awry as well. He gives them a wave before turning and jumping into the portal, disappearing quickly. Alessia turns to the other three, smiling at each of them.

“I fear that this is the last time we will see each other again,” she tells Alice and Lizard, hugging Lizard first. “Try to stay out of trouble now that I won’t be here.”

“I’ll try but I can’t promise anything.” Lizard grinned, Alessia shaking her head.

She turns to Alice and hugs her. “Good luck in finding Cyrus.” Alessia whispers to her.

“Thank you for all that you have done.” Alice whispered, pulling back with a smile.

Nodding Alessia turns to Will, who raises an eyebrow at her. “I guess I’ll see you around back in _Storybrooke_?”

Will grins, “If I don’t get killed by Jafar first.”

He then frowns, looking between Alice and Alessia. Will did not want to leave Alessia to go by herself to this Neverland, in case she couldn’t find Emma on time and the darkness took over with no one to help her come back. But he also did not want to leave Alice on her own as he had promised to help her find her genie. After all she **_did_** help get his heart back, after all.

“Go with her,” Alice suddenly says, getting their attention. “I’ll be fine from here on out. **_Go_**.”

Will shook his head, “I promised to help you, and I’m **_going_** to help you.”

Alice smiles, taking hold of his shoulders and shaking him a bit. “Knave, you’ve done a great job of helping me so far, but I can see the fear in your eyes at the thought of Alessia going back to wherever she came from and the darkness taking over.” Will blushed, looking over to Alessia, who looked away, having thought the same thing. “I’m going to be **_fine_** , Knave, I promise.”

Will looked to Alessia, who shook her head, “Guess I’m coming with you, love. And don’t go shaking your head because I’m not taking no for answer.”

Alessia sighs, rolling her eyes to the stars above. “Oh, hell. Come on, we better go. The bad feeling I’m having is getting worse.”

They walked up to the portal and looked down at the blue swirls, Alessia hoping that they were going to land near Emma and the others. She knew that things go badly, especially with her best friend having feelings for Hook but not able to forget Neal, who could have died in another world, having been shot and all. Too bad he didn’t fall in Wonderland like her and she could have helped him. Alessia was going to take a deep breath when Will took her hand and intertwined their fingers. She looked to him, who looked back at her with an encouraging smile.

“We can do this, don’t worry.” he whispered, giving her fingers a squeeze for comfort.

Nodding in return the witch looked back at the portal and took a deep breath. They both jumped in, the wind strong enough to make them close their eyes as did the swirls as they made them both dizzy with nausea. Towards the end of the portal they begun to swirl as well, Will bringing the witch close to him and holding her against body. They both cried out once they were through, falling to the floor. They both groaned, Will more in pain as he landed on his back with Alessia on top on him. Holding her head up Alessia blushed at how close their faces were and quickly scrambled to a stand. Will followed suit, a grin on his lips but not commenting. For now.

They looked around, confused as to where they were when Will saw someone walking from the darkness on the right. He took hold of Alessia’s arm and hid behind the large rock before them, looking around to see who it was. Alessia glared at the boy in green clothes, her fist tight at her side.

“Peter Pan,” Alessia whispered angrily. “But where the hell is everyone?”

The boy turned his back, looking in the direction he came from and stood still. It was a though he was waiting for someone. Could it possibly be Emma and the others? Was it a trap? And where was Henry? With many thoughts running through her Alessia had to mentally and physically shake her head. She needed a clear head with Pan around, he was just as powerful as her when the darkness takes over her.

“Hello laddie,” Alessia snaps her head up to see Pan had turned around and walked forward. “Oh, I see you come bearing gifts.”

Continuing to crouch behind the rock Alessia and Will moved along the rock and peeked over to see who Pan was speaking to. Alessia’s mouth fell open, her eyes widening. Rumpelstiltskin had vanished before they got to shore.

“Where’s Henry?” Rumpelstiltskin demanded.

“Oh, you mean my **_great-grandson_**?” Pan taunted.

Alessia’s mouth fell open, wondering if she had heard right. She had taken a hold of Will’s arm so she wouldn’t fall forward and make themselves known. How the hell was it possible for Peter Pan–a mere **_boy_** –to have a child? It wasn’t possible, right? Will pulled the witch back, not wanting for either of the man or the boy to see them but Alessia wouldn’t budge.

“And you still haven’t told the others who I really am?” Pan turns to the hourglass, Alessia and Will ducking. “Not even your own son. Why?” he questioned, turning back to his son.

“Because you’re nothing but a coward to me.” Rumpelstiltskin replies.

Pan shakes his head, pointing at the box in Rumpelstiltskin’s hand. “We both know if that were true I’d already be in that box.”

“You don’t think I can’t do it?” Rumpelstiltskin asks in challenge. “You let me inside just to, uh, **_taunt_** me?”

“No! To see you again. To give you **_one_** last chance. Stay with me, let this **_go_**. Let’s start over.”

“Do you think I want to be with you? That I could **_ever_** forgive you after **_you_** abandoned me?” Rumpelstiltskin asks, trying not to let the anger be heard in his voice but not succeeding.

“I’m disappointed, Rumple,” Pan looks back at the hourglass. “After all these years I thought you’d be more… ** _understanding_**.” Pan turns back to Rumpelstiltskin, “Considering **_you_** did the same thing to **_your_** son. You traded Baelfire for the power of the dagger. And I traded you for youth.” Pan walked back to Rumpelstiltskin, “We’re a lot more alike than you care to admit.”

“We are **_nothing_** alike.” Rumpelstiltskin growls defensively.

“Of **_course_** we are! And it’s nothing to be ashamed of! Neither one of us were cut out to be a father, my boy.”

“I regretted leaving my son the moment I let him go.” Rumpelstiltskin tells his father angrily, glaring at him. “I spent my life trying to find him; to get him **_back_**! And what did **_you_** do? You **_forgot_** about me.”

“I **_never_** forgot about you!” Pan tells him just as angrily, “Why do you think I call myself **_Peter Pan_**?”

“Don’t think for a moment I believe is because you **_care_** for me.”

“But I do,” Pan tells him quietly. “All you have to do is put down that box, and you’ll see it’s true. We can make a fresh start you always wanted. **_Together_** , just as we planned.”

“Oh, I’m gonna to make a fresh start.” Rumpelstiltskin tells him with a grin, “Just not with you.”

Rumpelstiltskin moves his hand above the box one time, seeing nothing happen, Pan laughing as he stares at the box. Both Will and Alessia look over the rock, knowing that it was safe for them finally to see what was going on. Alessia frowned when she saw Rumpelstiltskin moving his hand above a box that he was holding, wondering what it was.

“I don’t understand.” Rumpelstiltskin questioned confused.

“’Cause **_you_** don’t have it.” Pan pulls a similar box from behind him.

Rumpelstiltskin stares at his father with disbelief. “You switched them.”

“Follow the lady. Still having trouble believing. In Neverland all you have to do is **_think_** of something to have it. Even something fake. But the **_real_** one, well, let’s see what it can do.”

Pan moves his hand over the top, the jewel popping up and turning a reddish purple, mechanic sounds echoing around the bare rocks around them. Rumpelstiltskin’s eyes widen with fear, lunging forward to grab it, but it was too late.

“No!”

The reddish purple fog grabs hold of Rumpelstiltskin, covering him from toe to head, slowly making him disappear. Alessia’s eyes widen when she noticed that he wasn’t able to move so she stood and went to move forward but was it with a force field. Fear gripping at her the witch placed her hands on where the wall was and noticed it glowing and rippling like water would after throwing a rock in. She pushed forward as Will stood up but she couldn’t get through. Panting Alessia begun to slam her fist against it, trying to save Rumpelstiltskin, knowing that besides all his faults he was trying to be a good man. No doubt thanks to Belle.

“Sorry Rumple, you **_had_** your chance. The choice was **_yours_**.”

Rumpelstiltskin soon disappeared into the box. Henry suddenly coming from the direction Pan had come from the first place, standing in front of the hourglass. Alessia was trying to get his attention but he didn’t see nor hear her, the witch wondering what was happening. When Pan moved towards the entrance, Will tried to pull her back but noticed just as she did that he didn’t even see them, and watched as he puts down the box on a rock before looking back at Henry.

“It’s time, Henry. Time to save magic.” Henry goes over to him, “To **_save_** Neverland.”

Henry takes a deep breath, pushing his shoulders back as he looked up at Pan. “What do I have to do?”

“You must give me your **_heart_** , Henry,” Pan tells him carefully, trying to right his words. “The heart of the truest believer.”

“You mean, I have to **_believe_**?” Henry asked with a chuckle.

Pan laughs, “No, Henry. I mean you need to give me your **_heart_**?”

“But…” Henry frowns, trying to understand. “What would happen to me?”

“You’ll become the greatest of all heroes.”

Henry gives him a look, saying softly, “You can tell me the truth. I know **_all_** magic comes with a price. Saving it must come with a price too.”

“I would never lie to you Henry, and you’re right, there **_is_** a price.” Pan pauses, again trying to get the right words. “You have to stay here, on the island with me. Neverland will become your new home. I know it’s a huge sacrifice but isn’t it worth it?”

“Heroes have to make sacrifice all the time,” Henry smiles to himself nodding, “my family taught me that.”

“Then they’d be proud if they could see you now. Because you’re about to save them all.” Pan looks to the hourglass, as does Henry, before looking back at each other. “Now, are you ready?”

“Yes,”

“Then let me help you.”

Pan takes Henry’s right hand and moves his hand around it, making it glow. Alessia yells, continuing to push through the invisible barrier, watching hopelessly as Henry pushes his hand inside his chest. Will’s eyes widen, not able to believe what he had seen. Only once has it happened before, but for someone else to do it to themselves?

“Henry!” Alessia yelled in panic, feeling her powers swirling inside her.

As Henry takes out his heart Emma, Neal, and Regina come running around the corner. Alessia’s eyes widen at the sight of Neal, having thought that he was dead. She wondered how, exactly, was she gone from Neverland? And where was Hook, Snow, and Charming? And where in Neverland were they?

“Henry, wait! Whatever Pan is telling you to do, don’t do it!” Neal yelled, the three adults coming to a stop.

Henry spun around, eyes wide with disbelief and confusion. “Dad! You’re alive?”

“I am buddy, and I need you to listen to me. Pan is lying to you.”

Pan immediately interrupts Neal, hoping to distract Henry. “Oh, pleasure to see you too, **_Baelfire_**. Not to mention the savior,” Pan looks at Regina, saying slowly, “And the Evil Queen.”

“Henry, you need to get away from him now. He’s trying to hurt you.” Emma tells her son, staring at her son’s golden heart.

“ ** _No_** , the heart of the truest believer, it’s what’s going to save magic.” Henry tries to tell them, convince them. “It’s going to save **_all_** of you.”

“No, it’s not.” Regina tells him sternly, frowning with fear. “This was **_never_** about magic, Henry, you **_have_** to believe us. The only person Pan’s interested in saving is **_himself_**!”

“That’s not true!” Henry yells confused.

“Of **_course_** it isn’t!” Pan tells Henry, moving in front of him.

“Yes it is.” Neal tries to further convince him. “Pan can’t live without you dying. If you give him your heart it’s going to kill you.”

“They’re trying to stem your belief, Henry. But don’t let them. Remember,” Pan puts his hands on Henry’s shoulders. “Every hero gets tested.”

Henry pauses, confused as to what he was to do–what was really the right thing to do. Alessia continued to slam her fists against the barrier, yelling for anyone to hear her, afraid to use her magic in case it backfires on Will or even the darkness taking over. Will was pounding away as well, using the dagger he took from Alessia.

“Henry,” Emma calls out to her son. “I know what being a hero looks like, and this isn’t it.”

Henry frowns, looking at Pan. “Why would they lie?”

“Because that’s what adults **_do_** , Henry. You know that better than **_anyone_**!”

“Henry, you **_have_** to believe us!” Regina tried, wishing with all her black heart that Henry will know in his heart that they were telling the truth.

“Your parents don’t **_care_** about Neverland, Henry. They know that if you give your heart to save it, then you’ll have to stay.” Pan moves to the side of Henry, glaring evilly at the others. “They’re being selfish because they don’t want to lose you.”

“Henry, you have to trust us.” Emma tells him softly.

“ ** _Trust_**?” Pan sneers, glaring at Emma before looking to Henry, “I’m the only one who’s ever **_been_** honest with you, Henry. The **_only one_** who ever believed in you. This is **_your_** choice, not theirs!” Pan looks at the hourglass, “You have to choose now. We’re running out of time.”

“We **_believe_** in you, Henry.” Neal tells his son.

“Because **_we_** love you.” Emma says, smiling.

Regina smiles, “More than **_anything_**.”

“I love you too!” Henry tells them sadly.

Fearing that they were running out of time, Alessia pushed Will behind her and made a few fire balls in her hands. Staring at Henry and Emma the witch angrily throws one fire ball, than the other, and continued to do so, pushing more of her magic into each one. A crack started to form, slowly getting bigger as the witch continued to push the strength of her magic forward. The darkness wasn’t trying to consume her, which Alessia was grateful as she didn’t have time to fend it off.

“But I **_have_** to save magic.”

“No, no, no, no!” Neal cries, holding out his hand.

Henry looks at them painfully. “I’m sorry.”

Everyone cried out as Henry pushes his heart into Pan, a green light pushing away from Pan, Henry falling to the floor. At the same time Alessia finally broke the seal that she and Will were in. Pan rose up high as Emma, Neal, and Regina ran towards Henry, kneeling around him with fear, crying out his name. Alessia moved her hand towards Henry, freezing him over before looking up at Pan, Will right behind her.

“Sia!” Emma cried with disbelief and confusion.

However the witch didn’t glance at her as she stared up at Pan, who was staring at them with such malice and triumphant that it even scared the witch more than the darkness within. Will walked up next to her, taking her hand as he, too, felt the fear that the witch was feeling, intertwining their fingers. Will and Alessia now wondered what the plan was now since the child before them was more powerful and immortal than anyone **_magic_** combined.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken long, I was trying to see how I was going to take this with Will being in Neverland while he was needed in Wonderland. I kind of figured it out, so we'll see how it'll go from here on out! :)

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 9**

Alessia squeezed Will’s hand, the both of them turning to the group around Henry formed in ice. She was kneeling before Emma and next to Regina, taking each of the mother’s hands in comfort as they looked distraught at what just happened. Will, on the other hand, was slowly making his way towards the box that had captured Rumpelstiltskin in, not keeping his eyes off of the boy still flying above the ground. Alessia looked up at the boy who should have been a joyous boy whom had no parents and was just as lost as the lost boys, not evil and Rumpelstiltskin’s father who wanted nothing more than to be young forever.

Will had his back to the box, getting ready to swipe it when he felt another box form in his hands, making him look towards Alessia. He saw her tilt her head to the right, but didn’t turn her head back at him. Will looked back up towards boy once again and quickly swamped the boxes and swiftly walking back towards the group, hiding the box in his jacket.

“What did you do to my son?” Regina demanded fearfully.

Alessia turned away from Peter Pan and to the evil queen. “Probably the same thing you were going to do. Only ice will preserve him longer than the spell you were going to put him on.”

“Oh, so sweet of you to join us, **_witch_**.” Pan sneered at her, landing on the floor in front of the group. “You’ve been gone an awful long time, you missed all the fun. Even watching your crush Killian falling in love with our dear **_savior_**.”

Alessia shrugged, glaring at the man-boy. “Too bad I had my own little adventure and got over Captain Hook’s good looks.”

Pan snorted, pointing towards Will with amusement. “You mean this scrawny, crooked nose guy?”

“Oi!” Will cried out angrily, “My nose is **_not_** crooked!”

“Alessia, you can do **_so much better_**!” Pan tells her with a frown.

The witch tilts her head to the side, “You mean like Captain Hook?” she shrugged, “ ** _Maybe_** , but I like his crooked nose.”

“What the hell did you do to him?” Emma said angrily to Pan, cutting off Will’s retort about his nose.

Pan looks away from the witch. “Oh, I didn’t do anything, Emma. It was Henry, he offered me his heart of his own **_free_** will.”

Emma quickly stood, unsheathing the sword as she glared at Pan. “I’m going to take it back from you.”

Emma rushed forward but Pan was gone, almost like he was never there to begin with. Frowning Alessia looks to her right to see Pan taking the fake box she had Will swiped. Will, Neal, and Regina looked up at her before looking in the direction of where the witch was looking, surprised to see Pan behind them.

“I don’t think you have it in you,” Emma turned around quickly with surprise, watching as Pan tossed the box from hand to hand, walking slowly around the group. “Rumpelstiltskin didn’t, why should you?”

“Where is he?” Emma asked.

“What did you do?” Neal asked fearfully.

“He’s in the box,” Alessia informs them, slowly standing up and watching Pan. “The asshole trapped Rumpelstiltskin in the box, somehow switching them.”

Pan sneers at the witch, “That’s right, he’s safe and sound. And out of the way. Unfortunately for you, he can’t hurt me anymore.” he tells them, looking at the box, “And **_neither_** can you!”

“Really?” Emma swiped her sword at Pan, making him lean his body back and his arm with the box out of the way. “How’d **_that_** feel?”

Pan sneered at her, “Like a tickle.”

Alessia watched Pan carefully begin to hoover and quickly brought up a wall of fire around him, Pan sneering at her. However the fire quickly faded into nothing, the witch groaning quietly and falling to her knees. Both Emma and Will cried out her name, the both of them at either side of her, helping her stand. Her powers must have drained to exhaustion when she was trying to get out of the hold she and Will were in and then putting Henry in the ice to save him.

Pan laughs evilly, shaking his head. “Wasted all your powers in trying to save Henry, did you, **_witch_**?”

Alessia glares at him, Pan flying away through one of the eyes of the skull cave. She sighs and leans heavily against Will, who wrapped an arm around her waist and turning them towards Regina still hovering over a frozen Henry. Emma frowns at her best friend and looking suspiciously at the man that appeared with Alessia. She has seen him before, but the younger woman couldn’t place from where. Not that she had time anyways as her concerns and fears for her son frozen on ice.

“How is he?” Emma asked concerned, rushing to the other side of Regina.

“You’re going to be all right, Henry.” Regina tells him quietly instead. “We’re going to get you home.”

Neal looks to the witch, “Why did you freeze Henry?”

“That ice will preserve his body longer than the preservation spell Regina wanted to put him on. That spell would only last an hour long or so. The ice,” Alessia tilts to Henry, “will last a lot longer. It will keep him in this condition, buying us a longer time to get to Pan.”

Emma stands and looks to Neal. “You were a lost boy, any idea where he went?”

“Uh,” Neal shook his head, “I know where he lived, where his compound–”

“But that’s idiotic, we **_all_** know that.” Regina looks up at Neal, “You think he’s stupid enough to go back? You’re useless.” she shook her head, looking back at Henry.

“Okay, **_enough_**.” Emma tells her.

“Don’t tell me what’s **_enough_**! My **_son_** is **_dying_**!”

“ ** _Our_** son.” Emma tells her sternly, “So, yes, I know how you feel.”

Regina glares up at her. “You have **_no idea_** what I feel. You **_have_** your parents! You have **_Alessia_**! You have this,” Regina looks at Neal, not knowing what to categorize him in, “ ** _person_**! A pirate that **_pines_** for you! You have **_everything_** and yet you claim to know what **_I feel_**? All I **_have_** is Henry! And I’m not about to lose him because he is **_everything_**!” she started to cry, looking back down at the ice.

Alessia’s eyebrows raised to her hairline, taken aback by all that’s she’s heard. Since when have Emma and Regina become semi-close with one another? What the hell happened in the time that she was gone? Because as the witch remembers the two of them were still at each other’s throats way before she was sucked into Wonderland.

Emma frowns and kneels, “You’re right. I **_don’t_** know how you feel, so what do you wanna do? You want to run the show? **_Run it_**. How do we save Henry?” she whispered.

Regina looks at her fearfully. “I don’t know.”

Neal walks back over them, Emma standing. “Even if we **_can_** find Pan, he was powerful before but with Henry’s heart I don’t know if we can hurt him?”

Regina frowns and tilts her head at Emma’s sword. “Yes, we can. Look,” she points to Emma’s sword, “You nicked him. He can bleed, we can hurt him. And if we can hurt him we can **_kill_** him.” she grins, looking at the others before staring at the blood, “And we **_will_**!”

“We better get the hell out of here and take Henry to some place safe.” Alessia tells them, continuing to feel strong magic around her. “Then we can talk about a way to get Henry’s heart back and kill Pan.”

Neal and Emma nods in agreement, looking down at the ice form of their son. “How are we going to be able to carry him? He’ll be too heavy.”

“No, the ice is weightless,” Alessia waved her hands over the ice, handles forming from beneath the ice. “He’ll be easy to carry.”

“Let’s get going then.” Emma tells them, everyone moving to take hold of the handles.

Regina, Alessia, and Will took one side as Neal and Emma took the other. They picked up Henry and started walking out of the cave. They got onto the boat, placing Henry in the middle, and Neal at the edge rowing them back to the main island. Both Regina and Emma were on either side of Henry and facing Will and Alessia, Regina looking down at her son while Emma stared at her best friend and the familiar, unknown man. Will was frowning, rubbing Alessia’s back as he could feel her exhaustion pouring out of her. Emma watched them carefully, seeing how comfortable the two of them were around each other. Emma wondered how long Alessia was with this man to become friendly as they were.

“Do you really think my nose is crooked?” Will suddenly asked.

Alessia laughed, moving her head from his shoulder and looking at him. “No, it’s not crooked, just playing along with Pan’s little game is all.” Will hummed, looking away but secretly touching his nose just to make sure. “I can’t believe that you’re more worried about your nose being crooked rather than you being scrawny.”

Will turned to her, grinning charmingly at her. “That’s ‘cause I know that you know the truth about me not really being scrawny, love.”

Alessia flushed, rolling her eyes and shoving at his shoulder before placing back her head on it, closing her eyes. “Yeah, well, you’re still look scrawny.”

 

**5**

 

Alessia and Will looked around the camp they were in with kids sitting around the floor, their hands and feet tied up. Killian Jones and an unknown woman stood guard of the boys–which Alessia knew to be the lost boys–as were Emma’s parents, who followed them to a bed to place Henry on. Alessia also noticed there was only one girl within the prisoners of boys and wondered who she was. Emma told her parents and Killian what had happened back at Skull Rock as they set Henry down on the bed.

“Gold is in a box?” Snow said with disbelief, looking at her daughter, Regina, and Neal. “Then David can never leave the island!”

“Mary Margaret that doesn’t matter, I already made peace with that!” Charming tells her softly, “What matters is Henry.”

Alessia sighs, walking over to Will, turning her back to the boy’s and girl in the camp. “Charming **_can_** go home, actually.”

Everyone turned to her, confused. “Pan has the **_box_** , we **_all_** saw him take it with him!” Regina tells her as though she were a child.

“Actually, that’s not entirely true.” Will said with a grin, everyone but Alessia now looking at him confused.

“What do you mean?” Regina asked annoyed.

Alessia nods to Will, who chuckles and pulls out the box he swiped from his jacket. “You see, I tend to have itchy fingers.”

With a chuckle Will pressed down on the button and a red mist poured out of the box and begun to form Rumpelstiltskin. Once he was entirely out the red mist disappeared and the box closed by itself. Rumpelstiltskin, in the same formation he was when he got sucked in, gasped and moved around, looking around himself confused.

“Welcome back, Dark One.” Will said, bowing at the waist at him.

“Papa,” Neal breathed, looking at him with relief.

Rumpelstiltskin turns and looks with relief at his son. “Bae!”

Neal rushed towards his father and the two of them hugged, Neal closing his eyes tightly. Alessia turned to look at Will with a frown, Will looking on at the father and son reunion. She turns to him fully, crossing her arms as she continued to stare at him. Feeling eyes on him Will glances at the witch with a smile, then back at the two men. However he quickly turns back to Alessia, seeing the look she was giving him.

“ ** _What_**?” he questioned confused with a shrug of his shoulders.

Alessia only frowns further and uncrossed her arms to punch him. “How the hell do you know Rumpelstiltskin as the Dark One?”

“ ** _Ow_**!” Will cried out, holding his right arm. “What the bloody hell was **_that_** for?” Alessia raises an eyebrow in warning, “Okay, okay! Me and Anastasia are really from the _Enchanted Forest_.”

“Oh, that’s just **_great_**! Wonderland characters coming from the _Enchanted Forest_ , I should’ve known!” Alessia says sarcastically, not realizing her voice was rising.

“ ** _Wonderland_**?” Emma questions with her eyebrows raised.

Alessia turns to her, shaking her head. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Where’s Henry?” Rumpelstiltskin suddenly asked, looking around him.

His eyes widen when he saw the ice block on the bed, Will saying, “He’s safe, sort of.”

“I tried to save him.” Rumpelstiltskin looks to his son, “I told you I wasn’t going to hurt the boy.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I–” Neal sighs, staring at his father, “Why didn’t you tell me Pan was your father?”

Will snorts, “If that boy was **_my_** father, I wouldn’t be telling anyone either!”

Alessia elbows him, shaking her head as the others glare at him. Will grunts, holding a hand on his stomach. He nods his quietness, pressing his lips together in pain. He couldn’t help being sarcastic and loud, he was somewhere he’s never been before with people he’s known from talk and seen from afar before he went to Wonderland. Not to mention they all needed a bit of lighting up, everyone just looked too grim for Will’s liking.

Rumpelstiltskin looks back to his son, continuing as though he was never interrupted. “Because I didn’t want you to know that I was a bad of father as he was. Because we’re both the same, me and him.” he paused to swallow nervously, before saying, “Because we both abandoned our sons.”

“ ** _No_**.” Neal shakes his head, love for his father’s visible in his eyes. “You’re not the same. You came **_back_** for me, Papa.”

“How much time do we have for Henry?” Charming suddenly asked.

“There’s no limit,” Alessia tells him, crossing her arms across her stomach. “That ice will preserve Henry as long as we need to.”

Neal sighs, shaking his head. “If he’s airborne he can be anywhere on the island.”

“Well, if we want to get out of Neverland, I suggest we start looking.” Killian suddenly speaks up, looking at the group.

With a determined look Regina stands and strides into the camp, walking right up to the oldest Lost Boy. The others followed, Alessia closely behind Regina as she knew the scale of her anger and powers–especially with how she was on the same boat when it came to powers and emotions being tied together.

“ ** _Where is he_**?” she slightly yells angrily.

“Gone.” the boy said with a smug smile, Regina taking hold of his cloak and shaking him forward. “There is nothing you can do, he’s **_already_** won. Pan never fails”

“You won’t talk?” Regina says quietly with an evil smirk on her lips. “How about I **_make_** you talk!”

She pulled back her right hand, getting ready to take his heart out when both Emma and Alessia took hold of her arm. However Alessia quickly lets her go, knowing that Emma had the situation under control. The witch had a feeling that something had come to an understanding between the two women, and it had nothing to do with Henry.

“Regina, **_wait_**!” Emma tells her quietly.

Regina glares at the younger woman. “There’s no time!”

Emma pulls her to the side, Alessia walking closely enough to stand near them so none of them can see them talking quietly. Though she didn’t need to as Emma put her back to the boy’s and the two women started talking in low voices. Will watched all this in fascination, seeing just how protected the witch was with the other woman. He can only imagine the story behind the two of them.

“I don’t think torture is our best move here. Look at these kids!” Regina does so, if annoyed. “They’ve been to hell and back. We need to try something else.”

Regina frowns angrily at Emma. “Yeah, we tried the cute and cuddly, they don’t **_respond_** to **_reason_**! What else do you have to offer?”

Emma looks to Snow, the answer slowly coming to her. “What every kid wants.” Snow frowns at her daughter as Emma looks back to Regina. “A mother.”

Regina stares in confusion at the savior, wondering exactly what that meant. Alessia softly scoffs, looking at her best friend, wondering exactly when her feelings and peace with Snow and Charming happened. Emma looks to her and slightly shrugs. Sometimes Alessia wondered if there was any seer in Snow’s or Charming’s genes as Emma seemed to know what she was thinking. It was actually quite scary to the witch.

“Later,” Emma promise.

Alessia gives her a curt nod and watch the year younger woman walk past her to kneel in front of the Lost Boy’s. Will walks next to Alessia and wraps an arm around her shoulders, watching everything in silences. He saw just how close the witch was with the other woman who seemed to hold an air of toughness, while she tend to ignore the others. Especially the man with the Hook, whom Will guessed was Alessia’s crush as Pan had said.

“Guys, listen to me. We are not going to hurt you. I know you’re loyal to Pan, and I **_get_** that, but you are making a terrible mistake.” Emma tells them, looking at each of the boy’s in the eye. “For a **_long_** time, I thought I was never going to find my family. I was an orphan, like all of you; a **_Lost Girl_**. And I was reminded today that **_I_** am not alone, that I have a lot of people that love me.” Emma looks over to Alessia, who smiles back, then to her parents. “And I never thought that was going to happen. If **_that_** can happen to **_me_**? It **_can_** happen to **_you_**!”

“Pan is the only family we need.” the oldest boy tells her.

Emma shakes her head, her voice growing louder as she says, “No, family doesn’t do what he did. Pan **_lied_** to you and made you do terrible things–he **_lied_** to Henry and convinced him to give up his **_own_** heart!”

“To save the island,” the smallest boy said.

“No, to save **_himself_**!”

“Don’t listen to her. Pan cares about all of us.” the oldest boy tells the others.

Emma shakes her head at him, “No, he doesn’t. **_We_** care about you, and we ** _can_** save you!” she stands up, her parents walking forward. “We can take you home with us, **_to_** our land. There’s no reason to fear Pan anymore. Until he absorbs the power from Henry’s heart, he **_can_** be stopped.”

“You just have to tell us where he is.” Snow tells them softly in that motherly voice of hers.

The older boy sneers at them, standing up. “Leave now while Pan still allows you to **_breathe_**!” Killian places his hook on the boy’s shoulder and shoves him back down. “That’s the only help you’ll **_get_**!”

Emma almost sighs as she stares at the older boy. “ ** _Where_** …is Pan?”

“Not…telling.” he sneers at her, using the same tone as she.

Emma looks crestfallen, not able to believe that her plan for the boy’s wanting their mother, a family, didn’t work. Alessia was about to step forward, deciding to tell Emma of her own plan of finding out where Pan was hiding when a small voice spoke up. The witch and Will were actually surprised that one of the Lost boy’s even spoke up, with how things were going with no progress.

“Can you really bring us home?”

The oldest boy’s head snapped to the right, glaring at the youngest boy. “Shut your mouth!”

Emma goes over to the small boy and kneels before him. “Yes, with your help.”

“His thinking tree.” he tells her quickly, without hesitation.

“ ** _No_**!”

“Yes!” another boy glares at the older boy before looking back at Emma, “His thinking tree.”

“ ** _Stop it! All of you!_** ” the older boy yells, struggling against Killian’s hook.

Emma ignores the oldest boy and only looks at the younger boys. “What is that?”

“It’s where he goes when he wants to be alone.” the youngest boy tells her.

The boy next to the youngest nods, looking at Emma. “You can find him there, it’s not far.”

“No, **_don’t_** trust her!” the oldest yells at the other boy’s.

Having enough of the oldest boy’s voice Alessia through her arm at him, muttering a single word in Latin three times. Will frowned, wondering what the witch did before grinning like a mad man that he was. The oldest boy yelled at the others when he realized that he had no voice. He tries his hardest, then glares at the witch, whom merely raises an eyebrow at him before looking back at Emma and the other children.

“Can you tell us where it is?” Emma asked him softly.

“Yeah,” the younger boy looks to the older boy next to him before looking back at Emma. “But you have to swear… ** _swear_** that you’ll take us with you.”

“I promise.” Emma said brokenly, “ ** _We’re_** going home. **_All_** of **_us_**!” she then smiled at the boy, feeling her heart breaking.

Feeling of what Emma was feeling Alessia walks forward and places a hand on her shoulder. She quickly stands and hugs the witch, letting the silent tears, full of pain and sorrow from seeing the same lost look in the boy’s eyes that she had felt and continued to feel, fall. The witch hugs her back just as furiously, her own heart craving the family she never had. She felt Emma’s parents taking a step towards them but she gives them a look, stopping them on their track.

They knew that the witch was protective of Emma. That the two women had a strong bond that they wished that they had. Sure, they were slowly seeing Emma coming around to the fact that she now has parents that love her, but she still holds back. How could they blame her? She was raised in a completely different world then them, with a different mindset. Besides they knew that Emma was still angry at them for abandoning her, despite that they had their good reasons to do so.

Pulling away Alessia wrapped an arm around Emma’s shoulders and walked away from the group, Will walking alongside the witch. Killian frowns after them, wondering where he has seen that man before. He grins, however, as he looks down at the oldest Lost Boy he was still holding down with his hook. Alessia had dutifully quieted the boy, whom was starting to get annoying, and was trying to get the witch’s attention. No doubt to get his voice back.

“Who is that woman?” Tinkerbell asks Killian.

The pirate looks to her and turns to the person she was staring. “Alessia is Emma’s best friend who came with us from her world.” he looks to the once fairy, “And a witch with very powerful magic.”

Tinkerbell frowns at Killian. “Stronger than the Evil Queen?”

“Aye,” Killian whispers, leaning towards her so that the Lost Boy in front of them doesn’t hear. “But she has limits, the power drains her.”

“How is that even possible?” Tinkerbell whispers back confused.

“She’s a witch from the land Emma was raised in, not from our world.” Killian looks back to Alessia, “There’s a story behind her, but only Emma knows it.”

 

**5**

 

After calming down some Emma turns to Alessia, frowning at Will close to them. “Okay, who the hell are you?”

“Will Scarlet,” Will smiled, bowing at the waist. “At your service.”

Emma gives Alessia a look, whom rolled her eyes. “Will is the Knave of Hearts,” Alessia says with a sigh. “He’s from Wonderland. That’s where I’ve been for–however long I’ve been gone.”

Emma’s mouth is slightly open, not knowing what to say as she continued to give the witch a strange look. “I’m sorry, **_Wonderland_**? Are you **_kidding_** me?”

Alessia shakes her head, “Nope. Remember Jefferson? He’s the Mad Hatter.” Emma’s eyes widen slightly, “Oh, and he’s the asshole who stole the keys to the jail cells too.”

Emma looks to Will with a raised eyebrow, who chuckled softly, shrugging. Emma gives him a sarcastic smile before it falls from her lips and punched Will. He cries out, a hand pressed to his left face, everyone turning to see what the commotion was about. Alessia merely smirks, watching as Will sits up on his elbows, glaring at Emma.

“What the bloody hell was that for?” he yelled at her angrily. “Sia **_already_** hit me for it, damn it!”

“Yeah, but Regina blamed **_me_** for losing ‘town property,’ so you deserved it twice!” Emma tells him.

She walks back to the kids, kneeling before them with a sweet smile on her lips as though nothing had happened. Alessia giggles and looks down at a pouting Will, holding out a hand to help him up. Will lets the witch pull him up, quickly dusting off the dirt and anything that was stuck on him from the forest floor. They walked back to the group, not hearing the answer to where Pan’s thinking tree was at.

“In the Pixie Woods? **_That’s_** where it is?” Regina questions confused.

The youngest boy nods in the direction it is, saying, “It’s just north of here. It’s where the pixie dust used to grow.”

“Do you know where that is?” Emma asks Killian as she stands up again.

“Aye.” Killian nods, “The whole region is deserted now. No one but Pan has set foot in those woods in centuries.”

“Then let’s make history” Neal tells them, looking solely at Emma.

Emma takes a deep breath, walking over to Neal. “We’re gonna need you here. Once we get Henry’s heart, it’s gonna be a race back. We need help on both ends.”

“Okay.” Neal agrees, knowing that she was right.

“What do you need from us?” Charming asks, wanting to help with whatever he can do.

“Let’s gather up the Lost Boy’s. Get’em on board the _Jolly Roger_ , prepare the ship to fly.” Neal tells them, the boy’s–except the oldest, who was sneering–smiling widely as they looked to one another.

“Let’s hope you have a Pegasus sail. Otherwise, we’re at the mercy of the trade winds.” Killian tells him, wishing that he never did burn that Pegasus sail that one day.

Neal looks at him smugly, swinging a pouch over his right shoulder. “Pan’s shadow’s in here, it’ll get us home. Long as your ship holds together.”

“Well, as long your **_plan_** holds together,” Killian starts smuggling, turning away to pick up camp. “ ** _She_** will.”

Neal sneers after him, looking back to Emma as he drops the pouch from his shoulder. Emma looks and shook her head at Hook before turning to Neal. Alessia coughs into her hand, hiding her smile as Will boldly grins at the two men. Who knew they were going to have so much fun once they met up with them.

“Henry’s gonna be with me the entire time, **_nothing_** is going to happen to him while you three are away.” Neal promises to Emma, knowing Alessia was going with her.

“You mean four.” Snow speaks up, gaining Neal and Emma’s attention. “You really think, after all this time, that I’m not going to continue to help you save Henry?”

“Okay, let’s do it.” Emma nods, looking to Alessia.

“What do you want me to do, love?”

The witch and Emma looks to Will, “Help in preparing the ship. No doubt you might know your way around a ship?”

Will grins, “Actually I don’t, but I’m a fast learner.”

Alessia nods, looking over to Killian who gives her a curt nod. “I’ll be sure to give him a quick lesson in the area we’ll need help most.”

“Thank you,” Alessia mutters before looking to Emma. “Let’s go.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I'm just trying to see where the two shows are going with their storyline. I'll see how I'll take my character and the others from here on out. Hope you like it! :)

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 10**

“Wait, you might need my help.” Rumpelstiltskin tells them with a frown.

Emma shook her head, “No, I think we got it. Besides, you’re still in the box, remember?”

Rumpelstiltskin went to say something when Alessia spoke up. “Don’t worry, Pan’s not strong enough for me. Neither you or Regina were, remember?”

Rumpelstiltskin clears his throat, hating being reminded about it. Alessia smirks and turns, Emma walking right next to her. Snow and Regina sandwiched them, Regina taking the lead to the Pixie Woods. They were quiet, not wanting to alert Pan of their coming, not that any of them thought they would be taking him by surprise anyways. He seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere. Almost like the Red Queen in Wonderland. After a few minutes of walking Regina sees the box on top of a rock, stopping and gasping.

“Look,” she whispered to them.

Alessia raises an eyebrow. “Guess he hasn’t realized it’s a fake.” the witch mutters to the other three women, keeping her powers open to feel Pan.

Emma unsheathes her sword as Snow notches an arrow, the four women walking alongside the box, looking around for any sign of Pan. All of them knowing the box was a fake they continued to look around for Pan until Alessia couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t feel him, and there was no sign of him whatsoever.

“Come on out Pan and face us like the man you should be!” Alessia yells, the group stopping in front of a large tree. “I heard what you and your son said at Skull cave! How you abandon your son because you wanted to be young forever!”

Alessia suddenly cried out when a vine wrapped itself around her stomach and thrust her back against the tree. Soon the other three were also wrapped in vines and thrust against the tree, all of them now stuck. Alessia cursed, all four of them struggling against the vines that continued to wrap themselves around them. Finally it settles down, just as the familiar voice of Pan was heard from the left of Snow.

“Don’t you know? Peter Pan never fails?” Pan starts as he moves in front of the four women, picking up Emma’s sword. “I didn’t expect you to find me. But then again, I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re mothers. Well,” Pan grins at Alessia mockingly. “Except you, witch. But the other three, you’re quite tenacious about your offspring; believe it or not I understand that. But if you’re looking to see Henry again, I have to tell you there’s only **_one_** place you’ll be reunited…” he sneers at them, “ ** _In Death_**.”

Regina glares back and thrust forward against the binds restraining them. However the more they struggled the tighter the vines become. The women seemed to understand that and stopped their struggling. Alessia had already tried to burn the vines but her powers didn’t seem to work and she was starting to panic. No matter where she and Emma went her powers **_always_** worked, even with other magic surrounding them. Yet she couldn’t break them free from the vines.

“Having trouble moving? Not surprised, given where you are.” Pan tells them, looking up at the tree almost peacefully. “You see, what’s hasting your demise is your regret.”

The four women frowned in confusion, Emma asking the question they were all thinking about. “What are you talking about?”

“This tree is the site of a **_very_** important event to me.” he tells this, looking up at the tree before looking at the women. “I abandon my boy here.” Pan frowns when none of the women looked surprised or started asking questions. “You’re not surprised?”

“No, we’re not.” Alessia tells him. “You see, I told everyone what I heard back at Skull Rock.”

Pan hums, “I guess the bubble I put in worked slightly, having kept you from interfering with my son. But I should have thought about you hearing anything.” he then grins, “This tree also has magical powers that consumes any other powers that anyone has.”

Emma inhales quietly, looking to Alessia’s grim look, before looking at Pan. “If you have a child, you must regret losing him too?”

“But I don’t.” Pan tells her, grinning. “Quite the opposite, actually. See, I have him all boxed up so I won’t lose him again.”

Alessia laughs, shaking her head. “No, you see Rumpelstiltskin is back at the _Jolly Roger_ , helping prepare it to fly it back to our world.”

Pan frowns at the witch, confused. “That’s not possible! I have my **_son_** in that–” he points at the box “–box right there?”

Alessia grins evilly at him. “That’s not even real!” she tells him.

The witch waves her hand around the box as best as she could, the box disappearing immediately into thin air. Pan gasps, glaring at the witch he moved quickly wrapping one of his hands around her neck. Alessia merely grins at him but inside she was afraid. The darkness was trying to reach out to Pan and the power he held. What was it about villains and having powerful magic inside them?

“How did you switch the box, **_witch_**?” he growled, squeezing her neck.

Alessia laughs, “I merely **_thought_** of having it and placing a fake in its place.”

Pan growls and pushes away, turning his back to the women. “Clever witch.”

“You’re a fraud!” Regina tells him with an evil smirk. “Your magic is weakened. You can’t even hurt us, let alone Rumpelstiltskin.”

“You’re right.” Pan tells them, turning back to the women. “But that’s why I’m here. This tree will protect me until my power is restored, and then,” he scoffs, an evil grin on his lips. “Well, then I get to have some real fun. And you won’t ever have to worry about your child again. Something we ** _should_** have in common.”

Emma tries to reach him, pushing forward, but the vines around them all tightened even more, the four women grunting in pain. They all take deep breaths, trying hard not to move any more than they need to incase the vines crush them completely.

“There has to be another way.” Emma said softly, trying to reason with him.

“No, you’re not going to get to me.” Pan tells her, shaking his head. “See this tree attacks the regret inside anyone who comes here. And you, you got plenty.”

Emma glares at him. “I regret not taking a better shot at you when I had the chance.”

“Oh, but that’s not all, is it Savior? No?” Pan whispers, leaning in close to her face. “I have your son’s heart inside me. I can feel just how much you let him down. Time and **_time_** again”

“Leave her alone.” Snow tells him angrily.

Pan grins at Snow, walking over to her. “Perhaps I should. After all, what chance did she have at being a good mother? Look at the example you set? **_Abandoning_** her for twenty-eight years.”

“Are you finished?” Regina asked in a bored tone.

“Last words from the Queen.” Pan walks to the middle to stare at Regina. “Perhaps a deathbed confession from the one who has the most to regret of them all?”

“Yeah, there’s one problem with that.” Regina starts, looking at Pan. “I did cast a curse that devastated an entire population. I have tortured and murdered. I‘ve done some terrible things. I should be **_overflowing_** with regret, but…” Regina pauses, sneering at Pan. “I’m **_not_**.” the veins fall as she shrugs them off and walks forward, the other women surprise. “Because it got me my **_son_**!”

She thrust her right arm at him and takes Henry’s heart back, Pan falling to the floor, struggling to stand. Alessia thrust her right arm out, her fingers spread out trapping Pan’s hands and feet in ice. It may be a while until he gets his full strength back but the group will be long gone from now. They looked to each other, Regina smiling and holding Henry’s heart that had a gold halo around it.

“Now, let’s go save Henry.”

With a nod they all rushed back the way they came and Alessia moved behind them. Emma nodded to her, wanting her to use her powers when needed since Neverland was still dangerous without Pan. Alessia didn’t mind as the other three women knew where the _Jolly Roger_ was docked. It took longer to get to the ship then it did to reach Pixie Wood’s but once they saw Killian’s ship all three women ran. Emma was the second person to get on the ship, looking around at the Lost Boy’s, Will, and her parents rushing from one part of the deck to the other.

“Henry? Where is he?” Emma yells.

Neal pops out from around the main mast on the quarterdeck. “He’s over here!”

Will looks up from tying a rope around a belaying pin and smiles at the witch, grateful that she had returned. He moves around the Lost Boy’s and hugs Alessia, who hugs back. She quickly pulls back, smiling, and rushes behind the others to the quarterdeck, holding on to his hand, taking him along with her. They saw Charming moving out of the way, Alessia quickly waving her hand over Henry, dissipating the ice.

“Hold on, Henry.” Regina whispers.

She placed both of her hands on his heart, posing it over his chest as Emma fell on his other side and took hold of his hand. Emma looks at Regina fearfully before looking down at her son, praying that it will work. Taking a deep breath Regina pushes Henry’s heart in, moving her hands quickly out of the way. Charming stood with Killian and Rumpelstiltskin near Henry’s head, while Will and Alessia stood to the left of Emma, as Snow and Neal stood behind Emma and Regina, all of them waiting with bated breaths.

“Henry?” Emma whispers, holding her son’s hand just a tad tightly.

A few– ** _long_** –minutes ticked by in silence when Henry suddenly gasped, everyone breathing a sigh of relief. Henry sits up, hugging both of his mothers, Neal telling him to take it easy. Alessia sighs, looking to Will who hugged her, smiling down at her. She turned back to Henry and his two mothers, her arm snaking around Will’s waist through his leather jacket.

“I’m sorry, I wanted to save magic.” Henry panted, looking around the group.

Emma shakes her head, kissing Henry’s head on the side. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” she whispered.

But Henry continued to explain his decision. “I wanted to be a hero.”

Charming shook his head, “Hey, there’s plenty of time of that.”

“But now it’s time to rest,” Snow speaks up, smiling.

“Welcome back, young sir. Only the best for our guest of honor, don’t you think?” Killian said, winking and nodding his head to the side. “Captain’s quarters.”

“Come on, I’ll tuck you in.” Regina says, looking to Emma, who smiled back slightly.

Regina takes Henry in her arms and watch as Killian pulls open a door for a companionway that was based near the wheel. As Regina walks down the stairs carefully, Emma stands and turns to Alessia and Will with a smile but raises an eyebrow at how close they were hugging each other. Alessia frowned at the way her friend was looking at her and Will, tilting her head slightly to the right.

“What?”

Emma shook her head, pointing between the witch and Will. “Okay, what the hell is the deal between you two?”

“Nothing!” they said in unison.

The two of them blushed as the others looking on also raised eyebrows at them. Emma tried not to smile, but did it anyways, seeing that they haven’t pulled away from each other. She wondered just how long Alessia was gone from them in Wonderland as it’s only been five days for them in Neverland. Emma continued to look between the two of them until finally she settled a look on her friend, crossing her arms. Alessia continued to blink at her confused for a few more minutes making Emma sighing with a roll of her eyes and dropping her arms.

“Have you been gone that long from me, Sia?” Emma questioned, continued to glance at Will’s arm hanging from her shoulders.

Suddenly Alessia seemed to get the point and quickly dropped her arm from Will’s waist and moving out from his arm. She glared at Emma as she started laughing, blushing just a tad bit darker. Having pity for her friend, Emma hugged the witch, who sighed dramatically and hugged her back before laughing. Both friends were grateful that they were back with each other once again. Sure, they were happy back at the camp, but now with Henry safe and sound with them they can finally take in that they were back with each other.

“God, I missed you!” Emma muttered, her eyes tightly closed.

Alessia nods, hugging just as tightly. “I missed you to, Ems! Goddess, I can’t imagine what it was all that you went through!”

With those simple words Emma felt relieved, knowing that she didn’t have to go through anything alone anymore. Those simple words spoke more volume then if they were discussing the problems themselves out loud. The others seemed to understand as well, making them frown, Charming walking over to Snow and hugging her while Neal and Killian furrowed their eyebrows together, staring only at Emma. Charming and Snow were jealous, once again, of the deep bond their daughter and the witch has with one another. A bond that they wished they desperately had.

Alessia sighs, pulling back to hold Emma’s shoulders, smiling. She tilts her head to Emma’s parents, giving her a look. The witch felt the emotions coming from them and knew that whatever small amount of peace that they had passed through on the days she was gone, they wanted desperately to continue to have that. Emma gives her a look, but knew that Alessia saw more than what she was leading on. She turn to her parents with a smile, Snow and Charming smiling back.

“Henry’s safe, Gold’s back…” she trailed off.

“We can go home. A family.” Snow finishes, she and Charming hugging her.

Alessia smiled, feeling Will walking up next to her. She bumped his shoulder, Will bumping her back, grinning. Regina suddenly came up from the companionway, smiling the world away. Both Alessia and Will smiled at the Evil Queen, knowing that having Henry back was what she truly needed. However both the witch and imp suddenly frowned, both turning slightly towards the stern with a frown. Neal, Will, and Regina asked them what was wrong as Alessia and Rumpelstiltskin looked at each other. Eyes widening Rumpelstiltskin vanished as Alessia quickly rushed down the companionway.

“Blood magic works both ways,” Rumpelstiltskin said just as Alessia, landed on the floor, Pan looking back at them. “ ** _Father_**.”

Rumpelstiltskin opened the box, the red mist appearing and taking hold of Pan. Alessia noticed that Pan had tried to rip Henry’s shadow out of him, and wondered if Regina should place a protection spell so no one can take it either. The witch had no doubt that she placed a protection spell on his heart so that **_no one_** was able to take his heart again; not even Henry himself. Pan cried out when the mist continued to suck him in and finally just let go of Henry’s shadow, getting sucked into the box. Regina yelled for her son, Alessia moving to the side as Regina quickly rushed to his side.

“It’s okay. I’m okay.” Henry breathlessly said quietly.

Regina frowned with concern, looking over her son. “Are you sure?”

“He’s a strong boy, Regina.” Rumpelstiltskin tells her with a smile. “You raised him well.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Regina sharply turned her head at Alessia with surprise, seeing the witch was smiling at her. She held back her tears, smiling at the witch. For so long neither of the women got along, despite that the younger woman understood Regina and where she was coming from, she was on the hero side. They were naturally enemies! But there was a change, Regina noticed, when the time to save Henry. It was not huge change, but small and subtle, and now it seemed that that change escaladed to the point that everyone would probably notice.

Nodding softly Alessia turned, letting Regina be with Henry for a while, Rumpelstiltskin right behind her. They emerged above, everyone immediately asking what had happened. The imp told them what had transpired as Emma tilted her head at Alessia. After making sure that Henry was really all right Emma moved towards Alessia, taking her arm in question. The witch smiled, nodding her head that she was all right. She moved them over to Will, who was leaning against the railing, not wanting the others to hear just yet.

“Regina did good, Ems,” Emma inhales, knowing where the conversation was now going. “She did really good for Henry. Despite her past and how she wanted things to get done, she did well in raising your son.”

Emma swallowed, holding back tears, smiling. “Yea, she did.” she agreed, knowing that was the truth.

“All right, loves?” Killian asked, walking up to them.

The women turned to him, smiling, as they said in unison, “Everything’s fine.”

Killian and Will frowned, looking between the two women. “That’s just scary.” Killian tells them before walking away.

The women laughed, Emma walking away. Alessia turns to Will, who nodded his agreement with the pirate. The witch rolled her eyes and walked away too, but not able to stop smiling. Once Henry was situated once again the moment of truth finally came, in using Pan’s shadow as their way out of Neverland. Snow quickly advised the Lost Boy’s to go to the middle of the deck and hang on to the side. She stuck close to them, placing an arm over the younger children in protection just in case. Charming stood with his daughter near the main mast, Neal casually walking near a cannon, holding the coconut–which Emma explained held Pan’s shadow–near the opening.

Regina and Killian stood on either side of the stair entrance on the quarterdeck, Regina rubbing her hands together, getting ready while Killian watching at the scene, praying that the plan wasn’t going to fail. Will and Alessia stood near the stairs before Regina, watching with bated breath. Regina, Emma, and Alessia spoke about Alessia helping Regina with the spell of putting Pan’s shadow onto the sail. However it was the witch who said no right away.

No amount of spell that Alessia knew was going to help them put Pan’s shadow into a sail. Yes, she had the spell or powers to **_destroy_** a shadow, but that was about it. However Alessia lets them know that she would stay as backup in case Regina needed further help maintaining more power to hold Pan’s shadow in place.

Emma takes out a lighter and looks up at Regina. “Ready, Regina?”

Regina merely nods, continuing to rub her hands, looking back down at the cannon and Neal holding the coconut. Emma then looks to Alessia, who nods, then to Neal who gives her a final nod. Everyone taking deep breaths as they watched Emma light the wick on the cannon. They all watch the fire go lower and lower into the cannon until finally Neal opens the coconut, Pan’s shadow finally free. However not even a second later it is blown away by the firing canon, which Regina came in. She quickly captures Pan’s shadow in a green cage, having to use two hands when it tried to escape.

Regina begins to lead it towards the topsail of the foremast, Pan’s shadow screaming and trying to get away. Everyone watches on, Killian and Will the only one’s not able to believe that it was actually working. They both thought this plan to fail, but as Regina finally pushed Pan’s shadow into the sail, making it turn black, they knew they were getting off Neverland.

“You think it’ll fly?” Emma questions.

Regina grins, placing her hands on the railing. “It has no choice.”

“Then let’s get the hell out of Neverland.”

“As you wish, m’lady.” Emma looks back at a grinning Killian, who looks away. “Bosun, weigh anchor!” Killian said, continuing to look at Emma before rushing towards the wheel.

Alessia looks over to a shyly blushing Emma, muttering the words, “m’lady,” making her glare at her but flushing darker. However when Will quickly runs towards the bow of the _Jolly Roger_ , Alessia snaps her head to Killian as though he were crazy. Out of all the people on board that ship the witch couldn’t understand why the pirate gave Will a bit responsibility. He was a great guy, trying to do the right thing, but Will was still… ** _Will_** , who was selfish, arrogant, and **_clumsy_**!

“You made **_Will_** bosun? What the hell were you thinking, Jones?” Alessia yelled at him, Killian frowning as he took hold of the wheel.

“Oi!” Will yelled, Alessia turned to see him glaring at her as he pulled up the anchor. “I’m pretty good on a ship, love! Don’t judge before you see me in action!”

Alessia merely shook her head, walking over to Emma and her father, still thinking that Killian made a mistake. Soon the _Jolly Roger_ begun to sail across the dark waters of Neverland, a nice warm breeze flowing through. Soon the ship started to lift off the waters and up towards the night sky. Alessia smiled when they passed through the clouds, having rushed to the side and holding out her arm to touch them.

“You know,” Charming started, turning to Emma. “When we first landed on this island you said we’d all need to work together.”

“I was just trying anything.” Emma told him truthfully.

Alessia snorted, knowing the truth, Emma giving her a look but smiling nonetheless. “We were **_all_** going in the same direction doing the same thing! We **_needed_** to get along!”

“Well, to be honest I didn’t think it was possible. That a hero, a villain,” Charming scoffs quietly, smiling. “A **_pirate_** …that we could all be united, but we were. Because of the most important piece of the puzzle,” Charming looks at his daughter, who looks up at him confused, leaning against the main mast. “A leader.”

Emma shakes her head, “I’m just glad that we were all able to work together and get Henry home.” she looks back to her mother pouring soup into bowls for the Lost Boy’s. “Get **_all_** of us home.”

Snow stops as she sees her husband rubs Emma’s arm and couldn’t help but smile, having a feeling of what they were talking about. Will returned back to Alessia, the both of them walking up the quarterdeck. They leaned against the railing and continued to watch the clouds passing by as Regina stared up at the stars. Tinkerbell then walks over to them, leaning on the railing between Regina and the witch, looking over at Regina.

“I’m glad that you got your son back, Regina.” Tinkerbell tells her with a smile, Regina looking down at her. “Seems the Evil Queen **_was_** able to love someone after all.

“Yes, it seems.” Regina said with a smile, “It seems you were right.”

Tinkerbell smiles, “I knew you still had some good in you.”

Regina then looks down at the vile in the fairy’s hand, which started to glow green. “Apparently, you still has some magic in you.”

“What?” Tinkerbell jumps up, frowning down at the vile. “What happened?

“Well, if I had to guess, I’d said for a moment there,” Regina smiles, looking at the fairy. “You believed.”

Alessia and Will smiled, having seen and heard the entire exchange. It seemed that everything was slowly falling into place. Things that should have happened years before and in the _Enchanted Forest_. Suddenly the witch frowned, a bad feeling at the base of her heart. She cried out, pressing a hand to her chest, leaning away from the railing but continuing to hold on to it. Immediately Will took hold of her arms as the others rushed over to them, asking questions at the same time. The witch then looks up at Will fearfully, landing her arms on his forearms, gripping tightly.

“You need to go back.” she told him fearfully, “You need to go back to Wonderland, something’s not right with Alice!”

Will’s eyes widen, shaking his head. “But **_how_**? The White Rabbit is working for the Red Queen and there’s no way to call for the one that took you!”

Alessia shook her head, “No, there might be a way.”

“No magic, Sia. You’re still weakened from the last time the darkness tried to take over!” Will tells her worriedly.

“ ** _What_**? How the hell did that happen?” Emma questioned, looking at the witch.

Alessia smiles softly and placed a hand on his cheek, ignoring the others for now. “It’s going to be **_fine_**. A simple conjuring spell, that’s all.” at Will nods Alessia steps back and turns to the open space on the starboard side. “ _Album rabbit existere_. _Album rabbit existere_! _Album rabbit existere_!”

A strong wind was furiously rolling at her words on the open space, the witch having to shout over the loud noise. A yell and a thud was suddenly heard, everyone, but Will and Alessia, eye’s widening at the sight. The White Rabbit that had took Alessia and brought her and Will back to Neverland stood up, shaking itself. It made a raspberry noise and turned around with a frown before his eyes lit up at the sight of the witch and Will.

“Oh! How wonderful to see you again.”

The couple smiled, the others too surprised to see that an actually white rabbit wearing a blue waist coat. “It’s great to see you again too, but we have a slight problem.” Alessia tells him. “I need you to re-open the portal and take Will back to Alice. Not **_your_** Alice, but **_our_** Alice.”

The White Rabbit nods in understanding, “Do not worry. Just like I returned you here, I can return him back to the **_right_** Wonderland world.”

“Thank you,” Alessia tells him sincerely.

The White Rabbit smiles, “It is not a problem. You may conjure me at any time, my dear.”

With that said the White Rabbit turned around and taps his right foot. A blue portal appears, growing bigger and bigger until it was a decent size. Nodding the White Rabbit turns back to Alessia and Will, smiling at them. He wished that the two of them can see what was right in front of them, but sometimes these things tend to take so long in its course. The White Rabbit just hoped that it wouldn’t be too late for them.

“Just like before. It will only close once you jump in. Good luck.”

Then he jumped in and disappeared. Will and Alessia walked towards the portal, Will taking her hand and intertwining their fingers. Alessia takes a deep breath and turns to Will, bringing up her other hand to his cheek. Will continued to stare at her with concern but knew that it had to be done. Especially if Alessia was getting a bad feeling about Alice from a **_completely_** different world. Two worlds if he wasn’t mistaken.

“You be careful and for whatever reason should you **_need_** me,” Alessia tells him, squeezing his hand. “Just call out my name, I’ll try to be there.”

Will exhales, nodding. Then he leans down and kisses her, Emma’s mouth dropping with surprise. Though she should have known that something **_happened_** between them. Will then slowly pulls back, Alessia exhaling quietly. She rubs her thumb against his jawline, staring into his hazel eyes sadly.

“I know you don’t have a heart, Will.” the man was taken aback, questions and wondering of how she knew, making her smile. “I can just feel it. Probably not to feel the pain of Anastasia’s betrayal again.” she exhales once again, whispering, “Or to fall in love **_again_**.”

Will shakes his head, “Sia.”

Alessia shakes her own head, continuing to smile as she steps back, letting their fingers fall through. “Go, Will. Alice needs you. Besides, I know once you **_do_** put your heart back in its place you will love no one **_but_** Anastasia.”

“I’m sorry.” Will whispered with such anguish that it bothered the witch.

Alessia shook her head. “Goodbye Will, until next time.”

Will sighs, turning his back to the portal. “Until next time love. Take care.”

Then he stepped back into the portal, which immediately closed once he fell through. Alessia continued to stare at the spot, her heart tightening. She closed her eyes, feeling her hands becoming fists, trying to get her breathing right. The witch felt Emma walking next to her and hugging her shoulders reassuringly.

“You’ll see him again, Sia. I know it.” Emma whispered, kissing the side of her head.

Alessia opened her eyes slowly, a single tear falling. Yes, she would see the man again, but she just hoped that it really wasn’t love that she was feeling. It just wasn’t normal to love two people, right? Emma thought that her feelings for Killian was a mistake, but the only reason she portrayed such feelings was to hide her real ones for the one person that was waiting for them all back in _Storybrooke_. Alessia just hoped that he might feel the same, but he might actually be in love with Emma. What guy **_couldn’t_** love her, right?”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter yet. Hope you guys enjoy it. Happy late New Years and Happy late Christmas!! :)

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 11**

“Did you just speak Latin?” Neal suddenly asked curiously.

Both Emma and Alessia smiled, the witch wiping the tear from her cheek. “All spells are said in Latin, Neal. My type of witchcraft comes from a long and ancient time where the Roman Empire reign over large amounts of countries.”

Emma rubbed Alessia’s arm, “Come on, you can tell me what happened in Wonderland.”

“Well, for one the Red Queen isn’t fat and ugly, **_and_** Jafar is in Wonderland, trying to make Alice make her three wishes in order to make the genie, Alice’s love, to be his.”

From the amount of information–and some that wasn’t being said out loud–she was taking in Emma turned to Alessia, blinking owlishly with her mouth slightly opened with surprise. Alessia looked over to her blonde friend and laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She sighed contently, knowing that she had to talk about what happened to Alice first before continuing her story. It will be the only way to understand the world of Wonderland that was off the story line they knew.

“Get comfortable Swan, I’ll explain **_everything_**.”

And explained she did. Emma couldn’t help but interrupt every bit she was able to ask or demand an answer from the witch. Even Regina and Killian had interrupted, asking about the Red Queen as Cora was once the Red Queen in Wonderland. Alessia assured them that it wasn’t Cora who was the queen, but a young woman that had a past with Will. When the bit about the darkness taking over the witch couldn’t help but feel fear as she told the story. Emma hugged her even tighter with concern, asking her how she was able to beat the darkness back.

Alessia smiled shyly and sadly, “It was Will. He used your nickname for me and that small flicker of recognition broke through the darkness just a little. Then he kissed me. That small emotion helped break the darkness and push it back.”

Emma grinned, winking at her. “A kiss, huh? So the one we saw a little while ago wasn’t your first one?”

“Shut up,” Alessia muttered, bumping her shoulder with her, smiling.

“So,” Emma staged whispered, leaning forward, “is he any good?”

“He’s Rafe Miller good.”

Emma’s mouth fell open before laughing. “All right, how’d you escaped after?”

Alessia continued with the story then of the dream. Of how the darkness had actually spoke to her, threatening those that she loved. Emma knew about her half-sisters and their friends back in Washington, and how scared Alessia was for them with their father having returned to continue with the same plan he wanted to do with her at the lead. It’s been **_well_** over three months since she left _Chance Harbor_ and the witch couldn’t help but have that bad feeling that **_something_** was going to happen. Something that was not going to be good for **_any_** of them.

 

**5**

 

Alessia smiled when _Storybrooke_ came into their sight, the _Jolly Roger_ breaking through the protective barrier that Rumpelstiltskin gave Belle to place upon the town. As the ship glided into the water and quickly docked, immediately everyone got off the ship to greet their friends–Emma telling her to give Felix his voice back. Alessia begrudgingly did so, albeit from afar. The witch stayed behind with Regina, walking behind her as she knew that despite being good friends with Emma the townspeople feared her because of the dark magic. Well, all except one person who pushed past the group hugging Emma, Henry, Snow, and Charming first.

Alessia smiled as Graham, who is the Huntsman back in the _Enchanted Forest_ , ran over to her. He picked her up and hugged her to him, the witch laughing as she hugged him just as tightly around the neck. He spun around a couple of times before sitting her down, looking down at her outfit with a confused smile. Alessia had bathed and changed into the clothes she brought from Wonderland. The sleeves of the tunic were fairly loose as the vest, cut short in the V, was tight and pressing her breast upwards. The black leather pants were snugged on her, showing off her legs and ass, as the black boots hugged her legs perfectly.

Emma helped put her hair into a French braid, a few loose hairs falling around her face, while she held her leather jacket in her left hand. Alessia figured that her jacket wouldn’t have the same effect on as she had it off. And just the way Graham seemed to be sticking close and not able to stop looking her over said her choice to have it off was a good one.

“Long story,” Alessia tells him about her outfit with a smile. “How’d it go protecting the town while we were away?”

Graham nods, wrapping an arm around her waist as they looked at the townspeople. “It was good. We actually had a bit of a hiccup with two agents of Pan coming in after Belle did the protection spell.”

“ ** _What_**?” Alessia’s eyes widen with worry, turning to look up at Graham.

“It’s all right, Belle and Ariel were able to get through to them.” he grinned down at her, sliding his forefinger down her nose. “But aside from that everyone’s been on edge for all of you to come back.”

Alessia grins, whispering, “Well, we’re back.”

Graham grins back, about to raise his free hand to cup her face but was stopped by the townspeople starting to ask questions. They turned to see the Lost Boy’s departing from the ship, Alessia smiling sadly at Regina standing alone, looking to the floor, hands in her pockets. She smiled back at Graham, whom raises an eyebrow, and walked over to the once Evil Queen, tagging Graham along with her.

It took a while for Graham to trust Regina after he found out the truth before Emma broke the spell. He was the only one out of every one–and Alessia–who knew the truth of who they all were and confronted Regina about his heart. When Emma took him away and went back to the station Alessia stayed behind, not having trusted Regina at the time. When she saw Regina about to destroy a heart, and the familiar presence pulsing from said heart, the witch made the heart appear before her own hand and ran all the way back towards the police station.

She got rid of Emma first–not an essay thing to do–and then gave Graham his heart back. Alessia told him about her being a witch and placed a protective spell over him so that no one was able to take his heart ever again. They had spoken about what they needed to do now and they had decided that Graham will pretend he didn’t know anything about his previous life until Emma broke the spell. But he wanted to forget about Regina and distant himself, which he did.

“And we owe a lot of it to her.” Snow said loudly, everyone looking in Regina’s direction.

“Regina helped save us all,” Emma agreed, smiling.

Alessia grinned at all the disbelieved looks on the townspeople, standing close to a surprised Regina. “Yes, especially when I was transported to another world for a couple of days.”

“ ** _What_**?” Graham frowned, turning to look down at the witch.

Alessia shook her head, “Long story, I’ll tell you later.”

Soon the townspeople started to disperse from the docks, deciding that some celebration at _Granny’s_ as a reward. Alessia turns to Regina, smiling softly at the still surprised queen. The once Evil Queen nods softly in return, knowing that despite the witch being on the hero side–and the fact that she, herself, was slowly going to leaning on this team of heroes–they are one in the same. Somewhat the same background, same struggle, different age, but overall just the same person. Alessia tilted her head at Regina, the three of them walking over to Charming, Emma, Rumpelstiltskin, and Belle who were all looking up at the ship.

“So, what about that shadow?” Charming asked as the group looked up at the black sail.

“Don’t worry, it’s trapped.” Rumpelstiltskin said, as the group started to walk away. “Just as it was in the candle. The only person that can feel it is safely in here.”

The group stopped as they neared each other, followed by Snow and Neal. The only person that wasn’t with them was Henry. The witch thought it weird as he has always stuck close to everyone there–minus Rumpelstiltskin, that is–yet there was no sign of him. Of course more pressing matters took her attention from him for the time being.

“What if put a protection spell on the sail just in case?” Alessia suggested with a frown.

Emma stared at her, “Are you having a feeling?”

“Yeah, and a bad one.” the witch whispers, frowning deeper. “Something’s not right and despite that Pan is now trapped in Pandora’s Box, I can’t help but **_feel_** something bad is going to happen.”

The group frowned at each other, wondering what could possibly be bad enough to make the witch cautious. They were all back in their little town in the middle of nowhere with Henry back safe and sound. But in the past the group **_has_** seen what happens when Alessia gets one of her bad feelings. Perhaps it was time not to dismiss her feelings so quickly as they had in the past? With a nod from everyone, the witch looks towards the black sail, praying that the bit of magic she had left will not make her go into a coma.

Alessia took a deep breath, concentrating on the black sail. “ _Custodi in umbra. Ne tamen in umbra. Umbra occlude velum._ ”

They watched a golden aurora wrap around the black sail, brightening before it disappeared. The witch’s hand tightened in Graham’s, feeling herself just a bit weaker than before. At least this simple spell didn’t make her go into a coma. With the bad feeling still intact there was no telling what help Emma and the others would need from her. A voice rose from near the waters then, everyone turning with confusion. At least Alessia was confused.

“Hey, mom? Dad? What about Felix? He’s still free.” Henry yelled at them.

The group walked over Henry and Felix, Alessia looking over the group as Graham had an arm wrapped around her waist as he can sense just how exhausted she really was. Though the closer they got to the two boys the witch made sure that she looked as strong as though she had her full strength and not look weak in front of the only Lost Boy that was still convinced Pan was on his side.

“Henry’s right,” Regina states, looking at Felix, who was standing his ground at the large group surrounding him. “We can’t just let Felix walk away freely.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Graham states, walked forward, letting his arm linger around Alessia’s waist, and taking hold of Felix’s shoulder. “We have plenty of cell space for this guy.”

Graham nods to the witch, who nods back, hearing Emma quietly tell her son that he was now safe. The group then started forward, Regina taking the witch’s arm. Alessia looks to her in confusion until she felt some of her strength return to her. Regina gives her a curt nod and a small smile before looking away, her hand dropping back to her side. Alessia smiled back, looking down at her left hand, flexing it. Magic was slowly starting to re-energize her quickly thanks to Regina, making the witch wonder if it was because of her magic that was so unlimited, unlike her own.

“So, what’s gonna happen to the box?” Henry suddenly asked curiously.

Once again Alessia looked at the ten year old, feeling that something was just off with him, despite the content look he had with Emma’s and Neal’s arms around him. But the witch held back her comments and concerns. It might not just be nothing as Henry is finally safe and back to where he was most comfortable as he grew up in this town. Besides, he **_did_** just went through an ordeal than any normal child should have! It will take time to get back on his feet, just like what happened to her. Only it won’t take as long as her because he has people that care about him, unlike her. Yes, she had Amelia but even then the older woman didn’t understand her, nor did she wanted to.

“You will see,” Rumpelstiltskin tells him.

They continued to walk down the middle of the street, the townspeople just looking joyous and cheering whenever they saw the group. Soon they came up to Rumpelstiltskin’s shop, entering after the imp himself. They walked to the back of the shop, standing back as they watch Rumpelstiltskin kneel on the floorboard and taking out a squared top.

“Once I seal the box in here,” Rumpelstiltskin said, placing the Pandora box inside and closing it. “No one can break the spell but me.” he vowed, hovering a hand over the top, sealing it with a gold light.

“And you’re not gonna to do that?” Henry asked curiously.

“Oh, believe me,” Rumpelstiltskin scoffed, “I want Pan trapped just as much as you.”

“Don’t worry Henry.” Emma tells her son.

“He’s not getting out of there.” Neal finishes, shaking his head as he trusted his father’s powers.

“We won’t let anything happen to you again. I promise.” Regina vows dangerously.

Rumpelstiltskin slowly stands, looking at the sealed floorboard. “She’s right, you needn’t worry. As long as I am alive,” he says, turning to Henry and points down at the floor. “That boy will never see the light of day.”

Alessia stared long and hard at Henry, seeing a different look upon his face as he stared down at the floor, sensing a different aurora around him. The bad feeling continued to grow inside her and the witch couldn’t help but begin to panic. From leaving one problem to land in another world with another problem to return back to the place you left in the first place with the same problem…perhaps the witch was more tired than she thought with how much her magic has been used.

Taking a deep breath the witch walks away from the group, trying to get her bearings. She jumped when a hand fell to her shoulder, turning quickly to see a concerned Emma watching her carefully. Alessia tried to give her a smile but the witch couldn’t quite do it, her heart slowing down just a tad bit.

“I need a drink!” Alessia said quickly, not wanting Emma to say something.

Emma blinked owlishly, watching as Alessia turned and walked away. She made to say something to the witch but stopped, no words coming as she was too shocked at how jumpy her best friend was. Looking back at the others who were curious as to what was going on Emma shrugged, straining a grin in their direction.

“Well, you heard her, let’s get a drink!”

The group was not too far behind Alessia, who strode right towards _Granny’s_ , everyone already drinking and eating and just having a great time celebrating. Right away the witch walked up to the counter and ordered two beers, feeling a familiar person sitting to her left. She knew that Emma and Regina would want to spend time with Henry for the time being, she will only be in the way, nervous as the day she found out about her powers.

Granny placed the two mugs of beer, winking at the witch before walking away to serve others. Alessia pushed the other beer to her left as she took a drink of hers, grinning slightly as the dwarfs cheered loudly further down the counter. The witch sighs, her mug now half full, waiting for the person sitting next to her to say something–because something he **_wanted_** to say.

“How can you get over my devilishly handsome good looks, love? Especially for a lad like **_William_**?”

Alessia laughs, tilting her head as she looked over to Killian. “I only pretended to like you, Jones, to not tell Emma who I really like. And his name is **_Will_** , it’s not short for William.”

Killian raises an eyebrow, taking a sip of his own beer. “And who is it that you do like, Alessia?”

The witch flushed, looking down at her beer. She raised it to her lips, getting ready to finish the rest of her drink when the door opened and froze. She couldn’t help but clear her throat, not wanting to look up at the pirate or at the person who had entered the building in case she gave herself away. Though it was futile as the pirate was too smart for his own good, seeing just too much of everything about everyone. Except when it came to Emma. She was a bit too much like Killian, and you can’t just see yourself as others can so the pirate was having a hard time figuring her out.

Killian chuckles quietly, muttering, “Now I see.”

“Please shut up, **_please_** shut up.” Alessia quietly said through her teeth, her hand on the handle tightening.

“You two do make a cute couple, and he seemed to be very protective of you from what I saw down by the docks.” Killian tells her, signaling Granny.

Alessia finishes her drink as well, pushing her cup forward. “He’s only a good friend, nothing more.”

“Love,” Killian shakes his head, “You are both idiots.”

Alessia glared at him, about to say something when another voice spoke up. “Mind if I join you?”

The witch gives the pirate a warning glare before plastering a smile and turning to look at Graham. “Not at all.”

Graham grins and sits down, nodding his thanks to Granny giving him a beer as she refilled Alessia’s and Killian’s mugs. Granny winked at Alessia before walking away, Killian laughing and the witch blushing. Graham raised an eyebrow, asking what was funny as Alessia drank her beer to keep from answering and Killian letting him know it was an inside joke. Graham frowned with suspicion but didn’t ask anymore and instead relaxed.

Slowly the witch felt herself getting buzz after her sixth beer or so but wanted something stronger. She told Graham of what happened to her as soon as they reached Neverland and her own adventure. Graham was very into the story and constantly questioned about the world of Wonderland

“You should ask her about the lad, Will.” Killian told the huntsman with a grin.

Graham raised an eyebrow at the witch, who pinched the pirate on his side hard. “Will, the knave of hearts?” he questioned, “What’s so special about him?”

“ ** _Nothing_** ,” Alessia grounds out, glaring at the chuckling pirate.

The good mood quickly vanished, however, the witch looking over to the pirate to see him staring over at Emma. She had entered Granny’s through the back door, holding a familiar book as she made her way towards Henry. Smiling Alessia looked down at her beer, wishing that Emma could open her eyes and see what can truly make her happy–minus having her son in her life, because Henry did make her truly happy–and just **_accept_**.

She felt Graham hugging her shoulders, Alessia looking up at his knowing smile. There was a time that Graham would have some feelings for Emma–after all he kissed her like his life depended on it, which, in some sense, it did as he retrieved his memories–but for whatever reason he turned his blue eyes towards her. Alessia did all possible to **_not_** attract his attention, with the darkness inside her and all, but his hunter instincts wouldn’t leave her alone.

It wasn’t until after the curse broke and Emma and her mother traveled back to the Enchanted Forest did Alessia really relied on the huntsman for his support. Graham was there to calm her nerves as well as keeping the evil at bay, which with her safety net in another world she was weak and venerable. That’s when the feelings started and when she heard Neal speaking up.

“I don’t think they serve Rum at Granny’s.”

Killian turns away from Emma and Henry, Neal sitting next to him. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to pursue the Lady Swan.” he tells the other man, taking a drink of his beer.

Neal raises an eyebrow, “Yeah, you’re just here to throw back a few with the dwarfs?”

Killian looks down at his drink as though he was in deep thought. “I made a decision when it comes to Emma. I’m gonna back off.”

“Back off?” Neal questions confused.

Alessia had actually choked on her drink, coughing as Graham rubs her back. Out of all the plans that the pirate could have come up with to try and win Emma’s heart **_this_** is what he was able to come up with? What the hell happened once they found Neal? As soon as they were alone Killian would have to explain to the witch what the hell he was thinking.

Killian barely gave him a nod of his head, ignoring the witch for now. “For the sake of the boy, let his parents have a fair shot without a devilishly handsome pirate standing in the way.

“You serious?” Neal asks confused and suspicious.

Killian grins at him, holding his beer halfway up to his lips. “Yeah. I **_am_** devilishly handsome.”

“Thanks man.” Neal tells him truthfully, taking a drink out of his own beer.

“Oh don’t thank me yet.” Killian starts, Alessia looking over to him and tilting her head curiously. “You see, I’m in this for the long haul. You’ve already walked out on Emma, I’m not so sure she’ll let you back in. Are you?”

Killian grins, watching as Neal–frowning–quickly gets up, moving towards Emma who was over by Granny and Ruby. However when he catches Alessia looking at him and raising an eyebrow, Killian only looked at her innocently, the witch not buying it one bit. As did the sheriff, who only shook his head, chuckling. When it was Henry’s bedtime Emma, as was Alessia, were surprised that he had instead decided to go with Regina, who was also surprised.

Both Emma and Alessia looked to each other in confusion, the strong suspicion that something was terribly wrong. It was growing stronger in the witch but from the look from her best friend she knew that Emma was starting to have the same feelings as well. Knowing that it wasn’t the right time to talk about it Alessia stayed put as Emma turns with a frown and places a fake smile on her lips at her parents. Sighing the witch shook her head, looking at the beer in her hand.

“All right, how about a real drink?” Alessia muttered, draining the rest of her beer.

Killian nods, draining his beer as well. “Aye, let us go.”

Standing Alessia smiles over to Emma and waves as she looked over her shoulder, the other woman giving her a look but nods. The witch knew that she was afraid for her, knowing what had happened last time she drank just a bit too much. But Emma had looked past her and seemed to be calmed before turning back to her parents. Not thinking much about it Alessia turned but had stopped short, Graham standing in front of her. She raised an eyebrow, afraid of the glint in his blue eyes, but now knew why Emma had looked so calm when she was about to go to the _White Rabbit_ for a stronger drink.

“You really think me and Emma were going to let you go by yourself with a pirate and get drunk?” Alessia went to say something when Graham spoke up again, “ ** _After_** what happened the last time?”

Alessia flushed at the memory, feeling Killian’s curious stare. “All right, let’s go.”

 

**5**

 

The witch sighed awake before groaning, scrunching her eyes shut even tighter. She burrowed further down in her covers, turning her face into the warm pillow beneath her head. Her head was pounding and her stomach was rolling around violently and Alessia wished that she didn’t drink so much. She should have listened to Graham and to stop drinking, but Killian wouldn’t stop the subtle challenge. The witch vaguely remembered all that was said and done yesterday–even teaching Killian how to play pool–but slowly the night has come to a darkness and forgettable moment.

Alessia smiled sleepily as she felt a pair of lips on her forehead and large hands spanning across her lower back and hip, hugging her closer to a hard, warm body. She had a wonderful dream that had to do with her and Graham and the both of them being naked. With a sigh she felt herself going back into unconsciousness, feeling relaxed and comfortable. She wasn’t sure how long she was asleep but she felt an exotic, ticklish sensation that started from the back of her neck, her shoulders, then down her back. Alessia couldn’t help but hummed in content, slowly arching her back like that of a cat, feeling herself starting to wake.

She heard and felt someone chuckle against her, the witch snapping her eyes open with confusion. Alessia turned her head to see Graham pulling away from her with a large smile. His lingering finger tips trailed over her nude back, slowly tracing part of the tattoo she had expanding across her back. It took long, grueling hours but the tattoo was worth it as it covered the markings of evil made by her father and his coven when she was a child.

In the middle of her back was a heart-shaped made out of all lines and black shading with leaves popping all around the heart. Lines for branches flowed up to her right shoulder and the other flowing down to her left hip. The branches held pink Japanese flowers, the flowers being the only ones that had any color, while shading was done in between the branches.

Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Oh, no. So it wasn’t a dream?” she whispered.

Graham grinned, leaning down. “Nope,”

He kissed her lazily, Alessia sighing into the kiss. She felt her toes curl and her right leg bending up. His hand moved across her back to hold her hip, then moved her closer to his body. She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his back, Graham instead pushing her on to her back, the kiss becoming more fervent. Gasping Alessia suddenly pushed him back, her eyes wide once again.

“Wait, we can’t,” she whispered fearfully, panting.

Graham smiles patiently, one of his hands sliding up her side. “Too late, we’ve already done it.”

His smile widen to a grin when he saw her blush, looking away. He leaned down and kissed her cheek before slowly making his way down to her neck and shoulders. Alessia sighs, closing her eyes, as both her arms and legs tightened around him. He was being gentle, something that the witch was not so used to, even with her last and only boyfriend. Exhaling Alessia opens her gray/green eyes, fear and worry in them as a dread feeling came over her. She turned to look at the huntsman who slowly raised his head, their noses almost touching.

“Something’s wrong.”

Frowning Graham quickly got out of bed, Alessia quickly following. They flew down the hall and down the stairs that led to the side of the hotel. At the base of the stairs the witch frowned back at the huntsman when he took hold of her arm. He quickly swooped down and kissed her hard and short, grinning at the dark blush on her cheeks. A low whistle sounded, the both of them turning to see Killian and Tinkerbell both grinning towards them. Alessia turned even darker by the suggested looks Killian was giving her, the witch clearing her throat.

Before anything could be done or said a scream was heard, everyone turning towards the door that led outside. When another scream was heard they all rushed out, the group running around the hotel of Granny’s and into the front, looking around for the source of the scream. Emma and Charming getting out of Charming’s truck.

“What the hell was that?” Emma questioned with a frown.

“We had the same question.” Alessia and Killian said in unison.

Emma turns over to them and frowns first at Killian and Tinkerbell, whom looked at each other before looking back at Emma. “Wait, we’re you two…?” she trailed off, not wanting to say the words or think about it, let alone how to feel.

Tinkerbell frowns back and shakes her head, “No!”

At the same time Killian shrugs nonchalant, saying, “Perhaps.”

Emma moved her gaze over to Alessia and Graham this time, missing murderous look the former fairy gave the pirate. “Oh my God, you two **_definitely_** …”

Graham grins as Alessia blushed furiously. However another scream was heard nearby, everyone running in that direction–but not before Emma gave Killian a look and Alessia laughing.. They saw with horror Pan’s Shadow flying down to the blue fairy and holding her up in the air, pulling out her shadow. When she fell Pan’s Shadow flew away, Charming being the first to reach the blue fairy fell to his knees and looked for a pulse.

He looked up with a sigh, shaking his head. “She’s gone.”

Alessia muttered a curse, turning to walk away as she pushed a hand through her hair. Graham looked over to her with concern, taking hold of her hand and squeezing to let her know that it was all right. The witch squeezed back, but not wanting to look at him for fear to see the disappointed looks.

“Why would the Shadow kill her?” Tinkerbell asked, completely confused.

Killian shakes his head, “No idea love. But I do know the Shadow will only take orders from one person.”

Both Emma and Alessia looking to each other worriedly. “Pan,” Emma mutters fearfully. “We have to go get Henry!”

“Graham you can go pick them up,” Alessia tells him, turning and walking back to the others, waving a hand over the blue fairy’s body, a blanket covering her. “Don’t say anything until you get here and **_be careful_**!”

Graham nods, turning to leave. However he turns back over to Alessia and captures the side of her face and kisses her. The witch blushes, looking back down at the covered fairy so as to not look at the others, knowing it will be a while until her face isn’t red anymore. Emma walked over to Alessia, bumping shoulders, grinning. The witch tilted her head and looked over to Emma, a small, shy smile on her lips.

“Well, it was bound to happen.” Emma said quietly.

Alessia frowned at her, Emma smiling. If it wasn’t for the situation at hand Emma would have started laughing but all she can do was smile. Everyone could feel the chemistry between the two adults, slicing the sexual tension with a sword. Alessia was just too stubborn to make herself happy; which Emma knew why. The fear of killing someone because of the darkness always held her back from whatever made her happy. It didn’t take long for Graham to return with Regina and Henry, Snow and Neal having arrived not that long ago.

“What the hell happened?” Regina demanded, Henry walking behind her.

“The shadow, it killed her.” Emma tells her.

“Pan’s Shadow? I trapped it on the sail.” Regina said confused before looking over to the witch with a frown. “I thought you placed a protective spell to hold the Shadow in the sail?” she demanded angrily.

“I did!” Alessia yelled back, “But I was running low in energy when I placed that spell, it could have not worked as strongly!”

“Okay, enough!” Emma tells Regina as she looks towards her best friend in case the darkness decides to make an appearance. “She tried, but Sia wasn’t strong enough. It wasn’t her fault!”

Regina sighs, shaking her head. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I am,” Alessia mutters back. “If I wasn’t so weak maybe that spell would have been strong enough to hold the Shadow in.”

Snow frowns, “You had to break out of whatever wall Pan placed on Skull Rock.”

“Either way Pan was strong enough to release the Shadow from within the box beneath the floorboards of Gold’s shop.” Alessia shakes her head with another sigh and moving away from them, shoving both her hands in her hair.

“Hook, let’s go back to the ship and get the candle.” Neal states, starting to walk down the steps, knowing that they needed to start doing something quick. “If it strikes again, we need to be able to capture it.”

Henry frowns, looking at everyone. “So Pan can still hurt me?”

“We don’t know that.” Regina tells her son, not wanting to worry him.

However Snow spoke up, knowing that sugar-coating the truth will hurt them, and Henry, if they take the tip-toeing around. “Well we have to assume he’s still a threat.”

“And that he’s after Henry.” Emma finished.

Henry looks at them all with fear. “Then what am I still doing here?”

“He’s right, he’s not safe out in the open.” Charming says with a sigh.

Henry quickly turns to Regina, saying, “You’ll protect me, right?”

“Well, yes, of course!” Regina tells her son, hugging him tightly.

Both Emma and Alessia frowned, looking at each other. They silently held a conversation, the witch trying to get a feel of Henry but not able to get a good reading on him. She shook her head slightly, Emma sighing before nodding over to Regina.

“Go. We’ll take care of the Shadow.” she tells the other woman, her gut feeling only getting worse. “Regina, wait.” Emma called her back before Regina left with their son, walking down the steps to meet her.

Regina looks back at Emma with a frown, letting Henry’s hand go. “What?”

“Keep a close eye on him.” Emma whispered, looking from Henry and back to Regina.

Alessia walks over to them, knowing how stubborn the Evil Queen was at times. “I already said I would.”

Emma lowered her voice, “I know. He just doesn’t seem quite himself.”

“Really? You mean because he asked for me?” Regina said sarcastically, disbelief of what she was hearing.

Emma frowned, shaking her head. “No, I didn’t–I didn’t mean that!”

“That’s exactly what you meant.” Regina whispered back, almost triumphantly.

“It’s not that, Regina.” Alessia tells her just as quietly. “Something’s not right about Henry. He didn’t even recognized the book when Emma gave it back to him last night at Granny’s.”

Emma frowned, tilting her head at the witch. She didn’t mention what she saw with Henry and the book, there was no time when Alessia left that night with both Graham and Killian; and the first time they’ve seen each other they had to find out who was screaming. Sometimes it really did scare Emma how much Alessia sees without them talking.

Regina scoffs, shaking her head. “No, Emma just can’t face the fact that I’m his mother too! And maybe, just **_maybe_** , he wants me when he’s frightened. You forget, I have ten years of soothing his nightmares under my belt. He’s fine”

“It’s not about you, Regina. I just have a gut feeling.” Emma persisted, trying to see her reasoning.

Regina shrugs, “Well, maybe you can use that gut feeling to find the shadow, instead of obsessing over who’s gonna comfort our son?”

Emma watched as Regina walks away before turning her back. Alessia however watched with concern at Henry. Just like Emma’s gut feeling, the witch also had one of her own, but it was the darkness trying to make its appearance. Frowning Alessia turned away but stopped short at the person standing behind her and the blue eyes that had much concern for her. Alessia smiled comfortingly at Graham, hoping that he would just leave things for now. It could be that despite having her energy return to full power, her magic can still be a little off due to having used it so much back in Skull Rock.

Graham lets frowns with concern but lets it go for now as there were more pressing matters for now. They both turned to Snow, Charming, and Emma, all of them wondering what to do with the blue fairy’s body. Though no words were needed as the other fairies had come to see for themselves as rumor has finally reached the rest of the town about the blue fairy. Once the group spoke to the fairies to figure out what they were going to do the witch, the huntsman, Emma, Snow, and Charming all ran towards the center of town.

They saw Rumpelstiltskin and Belle locking up the pawn shop, the group pushing even further to get to them quickly. Rumpelstiltskin and Belle turned to leave when they saw the group of five rushing towards them. The imp shook his head, holding his ground as he waited for the group to reach them before saying anything.

“No, I’m afraid we’re closed. Whatever crises you’re dealing with, I’m done for the day.”

Belle looks over to Rumpelstiltskin, muttering, “Rumple.”

Emma, however, didn’t waste any time. “Pandora’s Box–give it to me.”

Rumpelstiltskin looked at the product of true love with amusement. “And why would I do that?”

“We need to open it.” Emma tells him urgently.

Rumpelstiltskin stares at Emma as though she was crazy, saying, “And let Pan escape, what, are you crazy?”

“Somehow he’s controlling the Shadow from inside the box. Henry’s life is in danger.” Snow informs him just as urgently.

“And you think letting Pan out will change that?”

“ ** _Yes_** ,” Emma tells him without hesitating. “Because we can stop him, finally **_and_** forever.”

“All due respect, Miss Swan, we **_barely_** succeed in apprehending the first time. If I’ve learned one thing is not to tempt fate.” Rumpelstiltskin then looked over to the witch with a frown, “Didn’t you cast a spell on the Shadow that was stuck to the sail? What happened?”

Alessia shook her head, “I don’t know. It could have been that I’ve was too weak when I casted the spell. It could be that it wasn’t strong enough.”

“And I’m not looking to apprehend Pan.” Emma spoke up, answering Rumpelstiltskin’s earlier question. “Wouldn’t you rather be **_sure_** he’s gone?”

The imp raises an eyebrow, staring at Emma curiously. “Well, what do you have in mind?”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon!!

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 12**

Alessia jumped out of the police car before Graham can even come to a stop. She walked over to the town line with Emma and Rumpelstiltskin, Emma nodding to her. They spoke about opening Pandora’s Box over the line, making sure that Pan didn’t have his powers. Not to mention both Emma and Alessia carried firearms and can shoot Pan if needed. Emma stopped Rumpelstiltskin from crossing the line–despite the talisman he had around his neck–shaking her head at him.

“Not uh, we’re doing this.”

“I can cross the line and retain my memories.”

“It’s not about that, there’s no magic over there. All due respect the real world is **_our_** expertise.” at Rumpelstiltskin’s sigh of annoyance both Emma and Alessia took deep breaths, crossed over the line and took out their guns from their holster. “I’m gonna deal with Pan on **_my_** terms.” Emma tells them all sternly.

“He **_is_** my father.” Rumpelstiltskin continued to argue, though without much force.

“It’s **_my_** hunch.” Emma tells him, adding quietly, “If I fail you’re more than welcome to pick up the pieces.”

“Emma, be careful.” Snow tells her daughter worriedly.

Emma looks to Alessia, the witch pulling the slide back and nodding. Emma then nods to Rumpelstiltskin, who sighs and waves his hand over Pandora’s Box. As the red mist begins to appear the imp puts the box down on the other side of the line, both women pointing their gun at where the mist was forming. Suddenly Pan was whole, the fairytale characters moving back just in case, watching as Pan looks around. He turns around and frowns at Emma, looking utterly confused.

“Mom?”

Both Emma and Alessia were taken aback, almost dropping their guns to the floor. Alessia tried to get a read on Pan but there was too much magic surrounding for the witch to get anything. She held her gun tighter, her finger away from the trigger, as she waited for Emma to do all the questioning and see if her hunch was right or not.

“What are you waiting for? Shoot him!” Rumpelstiltskin tells the two women.

“Don’t, **_please_**! I’m Henry!” Pan tells them desperately, holding out his hands to Emma and Alessia. “Pan, he-he switched our bodies!”

Emma shakes her head, “You expect me to believe that?”

Rumpelstiltskin frowns at the two women, “Don’t listen to him, this is one of his tricks.”

“No it’s not!” Pan cried out desperately, looking around. “He did it right before Mr. Gold captured me in the box, I **_swear_**!”

He took a step towards Emma, Alessia rising a ring of fire as both she and Emma held up their guns. “Ah, don’t come any closer!” Emma tells him with a frown.

“Shoot him!”

Emma shakes her head at Rumpelstiltskin, not keeping her eyes off of Pan. “Maybe he’s telling the truth, maybe that’s why I can’t shake this feeling something is off about Henry!”

Rumpelstiltskin shakes his own head, not able to believe what he was hearing. “That’s what he wants you to believe, but if he takes hold of Alessia’s powers and steps over this line we’re **_all dead_**.”

“All right, if you are really Henry, prove it.” Emma tells him, hoping with all hope that her hunch was true. “Tell me something only **_Henry_** would know”

“I-I got trapped in the mines. I tried blowing up the world. I like hot coco with cinnamon.”

“This proves **_nothing_**!” Rumpelstiltskin tells Emma angrily.

Snow shakes her head sadly. “He’s right, Emma, Henry could have told Pan all this in Neverland.”

“Pan might know facts, but life is made up of more than that; there are **_moments_**.” Emma looked into Pan’s eyes, feeling her father’s gaze on her. “He can’t possible know all of them. The first time you and I connect, you remember that? Not **_met_** , but **_connected_**.”

Pan smiled almost wistfully, “Yeah.”

Emma swallowed quickly, “Where was it?”

“In my castle. Right after you came to Storybrooke.”

“And what did you tell me?” Emma almost whispered, her heart thudding quickly.

Pan swallowed, his eyes shining slightly. “That I knew why you gave me up.”

Emma made her say the one word they needed to verify this was Henry, hoping it won’t come out in a whisper again. “Why?”

“Because you wanted to give me my best chance.”

Both women lowered their weapons and then put them away, Alessia quickly putting out the ring of fire. Shaking her hand Alessia walked over the line, Graham quickly taking her arms and looking at her face with concern. The witch nodded, smiling softly at the huntsman before turning to Emma and Henry.

“Henry?” Emma whispered.

“Mom!”

They hug each other tightly, Emma closing her eyes with relief. “This is Henry!” she tells them before looking to Rumpelstiltskin. “Promise you’re not going to incinerate us when we step over the line.”

Rumpelstiltskin gives Emma a brief nod, mother and son walking over the line. Emma quickly picks up the box as they both cross the line completely. Henry runs to his grandparents and hugs them tightly as Emma gives the box back to the imp.

“I’m sorry I doubted you Henry.” Rumpelstiltskin tells him ashamed. “And I’m sorry I put you in this box in the first place.”

Henry smiles, shaking his head. “It’s okay, I would have done the same thing.”

Alessia smiles as Henry walks over to her and hugs her, Graham messing up with his hair. Emma smiles and hugs Henry around the shoulders, steering him towards the truck. The other six adults stare after them, all of them thinking the same thing. A dread feeling fell in her stomach and the witch couldn’t help but take hold of Graham’s arm to not only steady her but to revert some of the fear into something else.

“If he’s all the way out here, where’s Pan?” Charming questioned confused.

“Oh God, Regina!” Graham tells them, looking to Alessia who merely nods.

 

**5**

 

By the time they reached the cemetery it was dark. Neal, Killian, and Tinkerbell stood in front of the small mausoleum that belonged to Regina’s father; and held all her magic beneath the tomb. Emma was trying Regina’s cell phone again, but from the nervous look she gave Alessia it was a dead end again.

“Regina’s still not answering.” Emma announced.

“When we find Pan,” Henry started, addressing to both Rumpelstiltskin and Alessia, “remember he’s still in my body. So, if you have to throw a fireball or something please avoid the face.”

“I’ll do my best.” Rumpelstiltskin said, trying to keep a straight face.

Alessia smirked, looking over to Henry. “But you’ll finally look handsome.”

The group chuckled quietly at that, hearing Neal call out to his son. “Henry, is that really you?”

“Dad!”

Father and son jogged towards each other, hugging each other quickly. Before Pan’s shadow even went in for a kill no one would have known that Pan had switched bodies with Henry. No one believed Emma when she had said that something was off about Henry. Everyone wanted to believe that it was due to what Henry had endured in Neverland, nothing more.

“Did you find the shadow?” Charming asked Killian and Tinkerbell.

Tinkerbell shook her head, “Not yet.”

“But we’ll be ready for him if we do.” Killian tells them, holding up the coconut.

“I think it’s **_Pan_** we should be concerned about now.” Rumpelstiltskin tells them as he watched his son and grandson pulled away. “Why are we still out here?”

“It’s locked up tight.” Neal tells his father.

“Really?” Rumpelstiltskin held out his hand, feeling and trying to break the spell but pulled his hand back down.

“Told ya,” Neal said quietly.

“Fair enough,” Rumpelstiltskin mutters. “This is going to take some time.”

“Allow me,” Alessia says, walking next to the imp.

“Sia,” Emma warned quietly.

Alessia smiles, looking back at her concerned friend and Graham. “People I love and care about are here, if the darkness takes over you’ll all be able to break it.”

Emma inhales and nods, Alessia looking back at the door. Holding out both of her hands, the witch closed her eyes and slowly let the darkness seeped into her. Snapping them open, her gray/green eyes having a tint of black surrounding them. When the dark magic wasn’t getting through Alessia let a bit more of the darkness to seep in, the power she was feeling incredibly strong. And just that bit of darkness broke the spell that surrounded Regina’s father’s grave, the doors swinging open.

Alessia gasped before growling in satisfaction, but Graham took hold of her hand, intertwining their fingers together. When she snapped her head towards the huntsman, her eyes almost completely black, something flickered in the small amount of her gray/green eyes before the blackness faded completely.

Graham took hold of her other arm so that he was standing in front of her, steading her and smiling. “See, you **_are_** strong enough to fight off the darkness.”

The witch smiled, blushing lightly, before looking after Snow, Emma, Charming, and Rumpelstiltskin walking down the steps. Emma and Alessia had spoken before that once they surprise Pan–and not the other way around–she would come with them, holding back the darkness. But with Pan’s having the upper hand on them it was not safe for her… ** _or_** the others, not with the darkness wanting to fuse itself with Pan.

“We’re clear down here!” Emma yelled up at them.

Graham brought her forward and followed after the others, hearing Regina asking what had happened. Alessia groaned quietly, holding on to Graham’s arm tightly. The amount of magic in that vault was calling out to the darkness. **_Beckoning_** the darkness to come out and take over. Graham asked if she was all right but Alessia ignored him and the surrounding magic, walking the rest of the way in.

“It’s Henry. Somehow Pan switched bodies with him.” Emma answered Regina’s question.

Regina scoffed at her own naivety, “And I fell for it.”

“We **_all_** did.” Snow said, trying to reason with her step-mother.

Regina shook her head, holding back tears. “Oh, I wanted to **_believe_** what he was saying so **_badly_** I missed all of the signs! I-I-just wanted to believe that he still needed me to be his mother.” she stood up, dusting off her pants once, angrily.

“I still do.”

Everyone turned to see Henry staring at Regina, his own eyes shining brightly due to tears he was holding back. Regina gasped, not knowing if she was breathing or not. Before her eyes stood the enemy but his, oh his eyes, were not cold or distant or hatred. It held love and fear, and Regina knew that this was her son stuck in the enemy’s body.

“Henry?”

Smiling with distraught Henry moves towards his mother and hugs her tightly. Regina felt nothing but relief and comfort at the same time, trying her hardest to hold back her tears. Though nearly everyone in the room had seen her weakness back in Neverland already, Regina did not feel to relive that again.

“So what exactly did Pan come down here to get?” Charming suddenly asked, looking around all the clutter in the room.

Alessia held back a groan, falling to the side. She held out her arms to hold on to something, but it was Graham and Emma who had quickly took hold of her. The witch could feel the darkness trying to break free of its cage from within, the magic within the room strong enough to let it reach out and take hold of her. She distinctly heard both Emma and Graham if she was all right but Alessia couldn’t do or say anything to tell them otherwise. In the other side of the room, Rumpelstiltskin held a hand over an open box on the wall, pulling back quickly with fear.

“What?” Charming asked confused.

Rumpelstiltskin frowned with disbelief, looking towards Regina quickly. “Please tell me you didn’t keep it down here?”

“Where else would I keep it?” Regina countered as though he were an idiot.

Emma frowned over at them, straightening up once Graham took the brunt of Alessia’s weight. “What is it? What did Pan take?”

“Why would Pan even **_want_** the curse? I already cast it.” Regina questioned confused, shaking her head.

“And I broke it.” Emma verified.

Alessia shook her head, “But that doesn’t mean that he can’t cast it again.” she tells them, gathering everyone’s attention to her pained form. “Spells, no matter what they are, can **_always_** be cast again. The only difference is that with certain spells there is a worse consequence.”

Rumpelstiltskin nods to the witch, grateful that someone who knew and understood about magic was there to confirm. “Correct. And this time without your parent’s true love **_woven in_** ,” he tells Emma, “even **_you_** would be powerless to break it.”

Charming frowned with confusion, “I don’t understand, we’re already in **_this_** land.”

“What exactly would casting the cursing the Storybrooke do now?” Snow asked fearfully.

Rumpelstiltskin sighs, looking at the group gravely. “Everyone would forget who they are and this time, time will stand still.”

“I can’t be in here anymore,” Alessia whispered, leaning heavily against Graham now, her arm around her stomach tightening with pain. “I’ve been pushing back the darkness from all the magic in here. I’m getting weaker.”

“All right, let’s get you the hell out!” Emma said fearfully, Graham quickly picking her up in his arms.

He rushed out, the others following behind quickly. As soon as they were outside and away from the small mausoleum, Graham put her down. Alessia fell to her knees and vomited, Graham quickly taking hold of her hair. Was she had emptied her stomach the witch couldn’t stop the dry heaving until her stomach had decided to finally ease off of her. Graham helped her to her feet, Alessia whimpering in both pain and weakness. A glass of water was given to her and the witch quickly took a mouth full to swish it around her mouth and spit it out before greedily drinking the entire glass.

Alessia ignored the tears, watching as the empty glass disappeared in purple smoke. She continued to lean against Graham, her back to the others, embarrassed to face the others. Lightly she felt Emma grip her shoulder, quietly giving her comfort which the witch was grateful. She felt the others moving closer to her but Alessia stared out into the darkness of the cemetery. Why was it more peaceful where the dead lie rather than the living lived?

“Another curse? It’s happening again!” Snow wondered in anguish.

Emma frowned over to Rumpelstiltskin, “Gold, this curse, is it gonna to work like the last one?”

“The last one was created to service the **_Queen’s_** wishes, this will be done per **_Pan’s_** desire.” Rumpelstiltskin looks at the group worriedly, “I would count on something **_hellish_**.”

“The curse was built to be unstoppable, there’s nothing that can be done.” Regina asked suddenly.

“Well, it **_is_** possible to stop it.” Rumpelstiltskin started but stopped in hesitation.

“What?” Regina demanded.

Alessia sighs, turning around to face the others. “By using the scroll itself,” she tells them, everyone looking at her. “It can only be undone by the person who used the scroll and that’s **_you_** Regina.”

Regina frowns, looking over to Rumpelstiltskin. “What do I have to do?”

“You must destroy the scroll. Both **_your_** curse and **_his_** shall be ended.” Rumpelstiltskin stared at the Evil Queen seriously, “But know this–there **_will_** be a price. A steep one.”

“W-what do you suggest?” Regina questioned softly, hating how scared she felt and sounded.

“Instead of going to him, bring him to us with a spell. One that will return Pan and Henry to their own bodies.” Rumpelstiltskin said, nodding to Henry.

“If I’m back in my own body that means I’ll have the scroll.” Henry tells them excitedly, “I can bring it to you guys.”

Rumpelstiltskin grins, nodding slightly at the boy. “Exactly right Henry.”

Regina shook her head, looking at the imp. “Even **_you_** aren’t powerful enough to cast such a spell.”

“Will, given the proper tool I could be.” Rumpelstiltskin countered, looking towards Alessia.

The witch shook her head, “The darkness is too close to the surface. It’s going to take a while before I can start using my powers again.”

“The black fairy’s wand.” Tinkerbell suddenly said, “One of the most powerful fairies that’s ever existed. Well verse in dark magic. The blue fairy exiled her but before she did, she took her wand.”

“I assume our dearly departed, Mother Superior, had it hidden at her residences?” Rumpelstiltskin asked.

Charming looks at them, “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s hit the convent.”

“Can I come?” Tinkerbell asked, shrugging when everyone looked at her, “I should pay my respects to Blue after all.”

“Then it’s settle.” Rumpelstiltskin tells them, “The rest of us should get back to my shop and prepare Henry for the spell.”

At everyone’s nod Tinkerbell, Killian, Neal, and Charming went one way as the others moved towards the center of town. Nearing their apartment, Alessia let Emma know that she will keep up with them. Graham went with her, not wanting to leave her alone with Pan’s shadow lurking about. Once in the apartment shared by Emma and Snow, Alessia quickly started to gather her and Emma’s things, Graham helping her. She had a feeling that something was going to happen.

A very **_bad_** feeling.

So she also packed her messenger bag full of ingredients for spells, just to be on the safe side that Rumpelstiltskin might need it. Once the two bags full of clothes were packed and placed by the island, Alessia quickly showered and changed, putting her hair into a half French braid. She donned on a grey cashmere cap sleeve shirt with a deep V-neck and skinny blue jeans that she tucked back into the black boots, along with the two daggers. Exhaling she took hold of the dark and light blue mixed knitted scarf from the desk and placed it on as she rushed down the stairs. Alessia rolled her eyes when Graham whistled, taking hold of the blue leather jacket from the back of the chair at the dining table. It had white strips on the front, back, and on the sleeves of the jacket, with two zippers on the sleeves, keeping it open.

“Come on, we’ll leave these in Emma’s bug and then meet up with the others.” Alessia tells him, grabbing the keys on the table and throwing the strap for the messenger bag over her head.

Graham nods and take hold of the two bags. Once they stored them in the back seat they quickly jogged over to _Gold’s Pawn Shop_ , smiling and nodding to Regina, Belle, and Henry talking and standing by one of the glass displays. When they turned back to each other, the huntsman suddenly stopped the witch in her tracks as soon as they entered and turned her around. Alessia went to say something, annoyed that he had stopped her, when his lips were suddenly against hers, gentle but forceful. She sighed against him, pressing her body just a tad closer.

Several throats clearing could be heard, Graham smiling as Alessia blushes. He pulled back slowly, sliding his hand down from her upper arm to her fingers, the both of them ignoring the other three–no doubt smiling the crazy people that they were. Intertwining their fingers, Graham brought them to his lips and kissed her knuckles before continuing to the back of the shop. He winks towards the group as Alessia continues to blush, looking down at the ground so as to not get any more embarrassed.

“This mobile hung above your crib. I-I mean it was **_supposed_** to hang over your crib.” Snow’s voice was the first one that they heard before they walked through the threshold.

Alessia looked towards mother and daughter, and smiled as Emma smiled back at Snow softly, knowing that her best friend was trying. She knew that their relationship was a rocky one, but it couldn’t be helped since everything that Emma had thought once was normal was now turned upside down. Plus, there was the whole fact that both her parents tend to act and do things as if they were back at the _Enchanted Forest_ , ignoring the memories that they had of the real world. She looked away from them and walked over to Rumpelstiltskin to see if he needed help with anything.

“I like the unicorns.”

“Giving you up when the curse hit was the **_hardest_** thing I’ve ever had to do.” Snow tells her with tears in her voice, though her eyes shown none.

Emma seemed to sigh, an understanding falling upon her. “I know.”

Alessia puts her messenger bag on the table and opens it, taking the glass jars out. “I brought some more ingredients in case you might need something that you don’t have in your shop or something.”

Rumpelstiltskin nods, already opening a few of them. “Thank you, you almost seemed to have read my mind.”

Snow suddenly shakes her head, looking from the unicorns to her daughter. “Every time I look at you, I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t had to.”

“I do the same thing with Henry.”

Snow frowns, tilting her head to the side as she stared at Emma. “You were doing your best, you were giving him his–”

“His best chance.” Emma sighs, moving away to lean against a wooden desk, feeling such guilt, regret, and sadness all at once. “Yeah, but still…things would’ve been **_very_** different if I had kept him. We would’ve had a life together. A **_normal_** one. Back in Boston or someplace else. But I guess all that was just not meant to be.” Emma smiles at her mother who seemed to understand the logic, and looks over to her son now sitting in between Regina and Belle. “You doing okay, kid?” she asked concerned, walking over to him.

“Yeah, I’m just…ready to be **_me_** again.” Henry tells her truthfully, Emma nodding understanding.

“Not much longer, Henry.” Rumpelstiltskin suddenly said, looking over a book. “Not much longer.” he closes the book after memorizing it and walks over to him. “Once we have the wand, all will be as it should.”

“Hopefully the others aren’t having too much trouble with the shadow.” Alessia tells them worriedly, Emma looking towards her. “Should I have gone with them?”

Emma shakes her head, walking over to her best friend. “No, not with how weak you are. The shadow could have taken advantage of that to bring forth the darkness.”

Alessia sighs, moving away. “Yeah I know, and we don’t need a repeat with that…at least I don’t.”

 

 

**5**

 

Emma walked over to Alessia when she noticed that she was standing on her own for the last half hour or so, her back to them. She noticed that she was subconsciously moving frozen water over her palm, staring straight ahead at something only the witch was able to see. Knowing that sometimes her powers showed what it was that Alessia was thinking, Emma stared at the frozen water moving. It took hold of a shape, briefly, before lining out a shape. Narrowing her eyes Emma finally saw what it was that was troubling Alessia, truly, even if she didn’t know it herself. The frozen water went back and forth in making Graham’s face and then that of Will Scarlet, the Knave of Hearts.

Frowning with concern, and understanding, Emma laid a hand on her friend’s wrist, snapping her out of the daze. Immediately her powers disappeared as well, but not before Emma seeing that it was Will’s face. Emma just hoped that Alessia doesn’t rush things or move forward quickly, again, without realizing what her heart truly wanted, or herself. Knowing of how things were run in her life, how Alessia tend to hold a lot of things back, Emma hoped that she was doing the right thing with Graham and no one gets hurt in the end.

“I’m fine,” Alessia whispered, flexing her wrist slowly. “I’m fine, I promise.”

Emma sighs, dropping her hand back to her side. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt or settle for what you think is right for you.”

“I’ll be **_fine_**.”

Emma sighs but nods. She walks back towards Regina and Henry, Belle having stood up and now speaking with Rumpelstiltskin. Alessia sighs, swallowing just the slightest at Emma’s words and the emotions she was feeling. She didn’t know what she wanted or what the emotions she was feeling were true or not. But she couldn’t, and shouldn’t, be thinking about them now. What she needed to think about was stopping Pan and breaking the damn curse, and doing it without letting the darkness take control.

“She’s back!” Charming suddenly said as he, Neal, and Killian all walked in the back room, Alessia turning around. “The Blue fairy. She gave us the wand.”

Emma quickly looked towards Rumpelstiltskin, “Do we need anything else?”

“Only one more item.” Rumpelstiltskin tells them, opening the cupboard and taking an item out quickly.

Everyone frowned, Snow asking, “What is that?”

“This is one of the only useful things I managed to pilfer from Greg and Tamara before they left for Neverland.” Rumpelstiltskin tells them, looking at the black bracelet, then up at everyone. “It renders anyone from using magic utterly powerless.”

“I haven’t forgotten about all that, by the way.” Regina tells Killian, glaring and pointing a finger at him.

Alessia smirked as Killian swallowed carefully, shifting in his feet. Her eyes met with Emma, who also smirked, her eyes laughing at just how uncomfortable the pirate was from Regina’s threats. Serves him right, having been on the wrong side from the beginning just to kill Rumpelstiltskin. But, then again, at least Killian found a reason to be a good guy. Alessia thought with a smirk, looking at Emma.

“May I see your wrist, Henry?” Rumpelstiltskin asked, kneeling down in front of Henry and putting the bracelet in his left arm. “I want to make sure that when my dear old dad awakes, that he is weakened. This will block his powers.”

“So what happens now?” Henry asked, looking confused at the imp.

Rumpelstiltskin sighs, looking at his grandson. “I enact the spell, you fall into a deep sleep, and when you awake, you’re back on in your own body.”

“And then you hang on to that scroll and you come find us as fast as you can.” Regina tells her son desperately and worried.

“When I gave my heart to Pan,” Henry scoffs, shaking his head, looking from Regina to Emma while Rumpelstiltskin walks over to his son to take the black wand. “I thought I was being a hero. I’m sorry”

“No, you’re not the one that needs to be sorry,” Charming tells his grandson seriously. “Pan does.”

Rumpelstiltskin stood before Henry once again. “It’s time.”

Regina and Emma hug their son before getting off the couch. Henry takes a deep breath and laid back on the couch, his heart thudding quickly. He hoped that the spell would work and that he was back in his own body again and help break the curse Pan is going to create.

“Keep your eye on the wand.” Rumpelstiltskin tells him quietly.

Alessia suddenly had to clench her fists tightly, feeling the amount of power coming from the black wand. It was neither evil nor good, but just the amount of power it was emitting just from the simple spell Rumpelstiltskin was using is strong enough to call out to the darkness. And, oh, how the darkness wanted that power. When Henry closed his eyes there was a bright light, followed by Pan’s body starts to convulse.

“What’s happening?” Emma asked worriedly, watching her son helplessly.

“Henry’s spirit is leaving Pan’s body.” Rumpelstiltskin tells them, easing their minds just a bit.

Alessia closes her eyes, feeling just a bit light headed, the darkness trying to reach out to the power of the wand. Finally Pan’s Body stops moving and just lies there on the couch, Rumpelstiltskin breathing a sigh of relief.

“It worked!” Regina breathed out.

Emma gives a curt nod, staring at Pan’s body. “Let’s go find our son!”

As they filed out, Emma and Regina being at the front, Alessia noticed that Rumpelstiltskin was not moving, but staring down at the unconscious Pa. Belle and Neal also noticed this and had stopped, frowning with confusion and worry. Belle walked to Rumpelstiltskin’s side, touching his arm.

“You’re not coming?” Belle asked confused.

“No, no, I think not.” Rumpelstiltskin said softly, looking from Belle to the wand in his hands and then to Pan. “My father and I have some, uh, unfinished family business.”

Nodding, Belle and Neal walked out–but not before Neal staring at his father as the witch slowed her way to the side. Rumpelstiltskin looked up at her and smiled, shaking his head. Alessia nods, grateful that he didn’t need her to stay behind or take the wand with her. With a deep breath and a bit of effort the witch walked away, her hands fisted tightly. The darkness was pulling as hard as it could to take that wand, to drain it of all its power.

She gasped for breath as soon as she was out of the building, looking up and down the street. She saw them with Granny in tow, no doubt trying to smell Henry out from where Pan had been hiding. Alessia jogged towards them, hearing that Granny had just found him.

“I’ve got his scent! He’s nearby!”

“The tower?” Snow asked with concern.

As soon as Alessia had caught up with the group, Henry pushed out the doors from the public library, running towards the group. Relief fell around the group as both of his mother’s cried out for him, wondering if the spell Rumpelstiltskin did really did work.

“It’s me! It’s me! It worked!” Henry yelled, running into Emma and Regina’s arms, the three of them hugging each other tightly, holding back tears. “Mom, mom, I just saw you guys. You guys just saw me.”

Regina shakes her head, smiling and pulling back. “But we didn’t see **_you_**.” she told him, hoping he would understand her meaning.

“Oh, he’s got it.” Emma says as Henry hands the scroll over to her. She looked over to Regina, holding the scroll on her opened palm, “It’s up to you now.”

Alessia frowned as she felt something coming from the scroll itself. When Regina went to grab the scroll, the feeling from the scroll intensified. “No, stop!” she cried just as Regina fell to the floor after taking hold of the scroll.

A purple light shone from the scroll, disappearing just as it appeared. Regina became unconscious, falling to the floor, everyone panicking and kneeling around her on the floor.

“Regina! Regina! Regina!”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter I have written so far. I also wanted to let you all know that from here on out OUAT in Wonderland will be AU as had my OC save and take the bottle from falling into the river. So I will probably not update until after the new episode of OUAT airs. For now let me know what you guys think and thank you for reading! :D

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 13**

Regina suddenly opened her eyes, gasping Emma’s name. Immediately she wanted to stand, Emma, Henry, and Alessia helping her. The witch couldn’t feel nothing coming from the scroll anymore and was confused. Emma and Snow asked Regina what it was that had happened when she touched the scroll when she turned to Alessia. The witch frowned, wondering what it was that she was trying to tell her but Regina didn’t stare at her too long as she stared at Henry sadly.

“I saw what needed to be done.”

“Mom,” Henry stuttered shyly, “are you going to be okay?”

Regina smiled, leaning towards Henry, placing her palm underneath his chin. “The important thing is, **_you_** will be.”

She suddenly looked at her right hand confused when she felt the scroll had disappeared. Alessia looked past mother and son and glared at Pan, wondering what had happened to Rumpelstiltskin. She couldn’t even warn the others as the sneaky man-boy had appeared after taking the scroll; plus everyone was too busy staring at Regina and Henry, wanting her to break the curse already.

“No he won’t.”

Everyone turned to see Pan walking towards them, glaring at them all. Immediately both Emma and Regina took hold of Henry, holding him protectively as Pan walked towards them. When Killian went to say that he had the scroll and Alessia going to use her powers to stop him, Pan had waved his arm over them. The witch screamed inside as she couldn’t move a single thing throughout her body, nor was she able to use her powers to try and break whatever spell it was that was holding them in place.

“Curse?” Pan finished Killian’s warning, holding up the scroll for them all to see, grinning. “That I do.” he scoffed, “Look at you all–a **_captive_** audience. I could play with you like a pack of dolls, couldn’t I? But I think I will start with these two,” Pan says as he walks towards Neal and Belle. “Hmm, you both look so adorable. Hard to tell which one to kill first.” he pretends to think about it, but quickly states, “No, it isn’t. **_You_** ,” Pan points at Neal with a glare. “You first.”

“Stay away from them.” Rumpelstiltskin growled, thrusting his father away from the two he loved the most.

“Well, how about this?” Pan begins to mock him, raising an eyebrow. “The worm has teeth. What, you’re here to pwotect your **_wuvel_** ones?”

“I’m not going to let you touch either one of them.”

“Oh, I like to see that.”

“Oh, you will.” Rumpelstiltskin threatens, moving just a tad closer to his father, “Because I have a job to finish, and I have to do whatever it takes. No **_loopholes_**. And what needs to be done has a price—a price I’m finally **_willing_** to pay.” he then looks away from his father and over to Neal, “I used the curse to find you, Bae, to tell you I made a mistake, to make sure you had a chance at happiness, and **_that_** happiness **_is_** possible. Just not with me. I accept that.”

“Pretty, pretty words.” Pan mutters mockingly, staring at his son who wouldn’t even look at him just yet.

“I love you, Bae.” Rumpelstiltskin begins to cry, looking tearful eyes towards the other woman he’s ever started to love again. “And I love **_you_** , Belle. You made me stronger.”

“Stronger?” Pan scoffs, wondering what it was wrong with his son.

Rumpelstiltskin nods, whispering, “Yes.”

“But still…” Pan begins, pointing a finger at his son, “No **_magic_**.”

“Oh, but I don’t need it.” Rumpelstiltskin states, smiling mischievously like the imp he was. “You see, you may have lost your shadow, but there’s one thing you’re forgetting.”

“And what’s **_that_**?”

“So have **_I_**. I sent it away with something to hide.”

With that said Rumpelstiltskin holds up his right hand, a shadow shrieking as it fly’s down towards him, holding a familiar dagger. Alessia begins to desperately break the spell, having a feeling what Rumpelstiltskin was about to do. She wanted to stop him from making that mistake, especially since he’s done nothing but good since they went to Neverland to save Henry. His shadow suddenly merges with his body, wrapping his arms around Pan in a very strong grip.

Pan grunts, trying to get out of his son’s grip as he asks, “What are you doing?”

“You see, the only way for you to die.” Rumpelstiltskin starts, tightening his grip further. “Is if we **_both_** die! And now… ** _now_** , I’m…ready.”

Rumpelstiltskin pulls back his right arm and stabs down at Pan from the back, his mouth open in a silent scream of pain. Black smoke suddenly wrapped around them, turning Pan into the man he truly was. He was gasping, the shock and surprise still on his face.

“Hello, Papa.”

“Rumple, **_please_**. You can stop this.” he gasped, panting in pain and for breath, “ ** _Remove_** the dagger. We can start over. We can have a happy ending.” he said with a chuckle.

“Ah, but I’m a villain,” Rumpelstiltskin starts, watching his father’s smiling face falter at his words, “and **_villains_** don’t get happy endings.”

He twists the dagger further in, a bright golden light bursting from it. Alessia screams further, feeling the pain not just from Rumpelstiltskin but from everyone there as they watched a once villain become the hero. Rumpelstiltskin kissed his father on the cheek as a goodbye, holding on to him as the light fades and the scroll falls to the floor. Neither of the men stood there any longer, and the hold Pan had on them finally lifted, some of them–mostly Emma and Alessia–falling a few steps forward as the instinct to help had kicked in.

Immediately Emma’s surprise look turned over to Neal, sympathizing for what he could be going through. Neal moves a few steps forward, his head down as he tries to hold back his tears. Belle begins to sob, covering her mouth as she falls to the floor, surprised to have witnessed what had happened and completely heart broken.

“No, Rumple!” Belle cries, sobbing harder, Neal wincing at the heartbroken sound. “He’s **_gone_**!”

Regina walks forward and kneels down, taking hold of the scroll. “Regina?” Snow begins to ask, “Are you okay?”

Sadden by the loss, and still surprise, Regina holds on to the scroll and stands. “I’m fine.”

Emma suddenly walks over to Neal with concern. “I’m so sorry.”

“My father did what he had to do,” Neal said thickly, trying hard not to sob as he stared at the place his father had once stood. “He saved us. Regina don’t let him die for nothing.”

Regina continues to stare straight ahead, knowing that Rumpelstiltskin’s words about villains and happy endings rang truth. Not only that but his decision to sacrifice himself helped in making her decision as well; giving her the courage that she absolutely needed to do to break the curses.

“Regina!” Neal says loudly when he didn’t get an answer.

“What?” Regina asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

“We’re here for a reason, love. Pan?” Killian questioned, hoping that nothing was wrong in breaking the curse.

“He’s dead.” she tells them.

“His curse remains. Can you **_stop_** it? Or should we all start preparing our souls? ‘Cause **_mine’s_** going to take some time.” Killian joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Alessia moved next to Regina and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her the comfort and further courage that she needed. Suddenly the witch gasped in pain, taking a few steps away as everyone was confused to what was happening. Alessia gave a choke-cry, her hands immediately going to her throat, fear of what was happening. The pain she was feeling was unbearable, the darkness within getting ripped out of her– ** _literally_** , the darkness was pulling away from inside her and pushing upwards.

“Alessia!”

Everyone cried, moving towards her but the witch only continued to move further away from them, shaking her head. Then her arms spread wide apart, gasping in pain, as her body slowly rose from the ground. Black particles rose through her open mouth, choking her just a tiny bit, moving like liquid. As the last had finally left her body Alessia watched in horror as the black particles, which she now knew to be the darkness that had once resided inside her, was looking for the next host. It then started to suck her soul from her face, lifting her just the tiniest bit more off the ground.

However it never got the chance to full suck her soul out as a black mass flew from the sky towards it, sucking and becoming one with the black particles. It grinned evilly, even through the darkness of the black mass. Suddenly ghostly hands from the ground rose and captured the black mass, which shrieked and tried to get away. But the ghostly hands wouldn’t let go, dragging the shrieking mass into the ground. As soon as it disappeared Alessia fell to the floor, unconscious. Everyone cried out her name, fearful of what just happened and if she was still alive or not.

 

**5**

 

_Alessia walked into the lighthouse building, looking around everyone’s heads in hopes to find either her sister or Jane. When she received the call from a concerned Cassie about Jane the older witch knew something was wrong. Cassie told her that they were at the Maritime Memorial Fundraising and that it was all formal wear. The fact that she had to dress up made her cringe, but she found a dress in her suitcase, along with the appropriate shoes. The dark blue dress itself was short, falling just a little above her knees with asymmetrical ruched chiffon that had ruffled hems. She wore black leather Louboutin shoes that she had swiped in her early twenties, her layered hair curled away from her face._

_Everyone at the party was looking at her weirdly, wondering who she was, but Alessia ignored them all. She couldn’t see nor feel her sisters and knew that something must have happened, but with how concerned Cassie was about her grandmother the witch knew that Jane was her first priority at the moment. Besides, after what happened at the boathouse Alessia knew that Cassie could handle herself and that her friends can bring her back from the darkness that was inside her._

_Moving around the witch felt a pull to her left and finally located Jane, as well as two older adults that she knew to be immediately. Knowing that they do not know who she was gave her a great advantage, but Alessia hoped that they didn’t recognized her as part of John’s family line. The closer she got to them the more she felt that something was wrong with Jane and knew that she needed all the help that she was able to get. When the man asked Jane if she was all right, Alessia heard her say that she wasn’t sure, that she was dizzy. When the man told Jane to sit down Alessia quickly intervened, knowing that the two other powerless witches were up to something._

_“Jane,” they all turned to her, the other two witches frowning at her. “Let me take you home.”_

_“I’m sorry, **who** are you?” the woman asked suspiciously._

_Jane held out a hand to her, Alessia immediately take hold of her, feeling of something was wrong, stronger. “A family friend.” Jane told them, gripping the younger witch’s arm. “Take me home, please?”_

_Alessia nods, frowning. “Yea, come on.”_

_Back at Jane’s house Alessia placed a protective spell around the property of the house, making sure that no one will interrupt her. Sitting across from each other the younger witch held Jane’s hands, pouring some of her powers into Jane. Closing her eyes she followed the power within Jane’s mind, trying to find what the problem was. When she found a spell has been cast upon her Alessia used the power she had poured into Jane and use it to break the spell. However the power wasn’t working so she had to pour in more of her power, but not so much so that the darkness doesn’t take advantage of her weaken state._

_Jane then gasped, Alessia opening her eyes to see the older woman looking at her confused. “Henry’s dead and someone knocked me out after I found the crystal.”_

_Alessia stands, getting a bad feeling all of a sudden. “I placed a protective spell around the property,” she looked to an even more confused Jane. “Something’s wrong with Cassie!”_

_Alessia found herself down at the docks, seeing witch hunters having a hold of one her sister’s friends on a boat she knew to be made of ashwood. She quickly rushed down the docks, stopping a boy that was one of the member’s older brother, Faye asking her to help Adam. Telling them to stay back Alessia walks forward, staring right at the witch hunter on the boat, already feeling a bit of her darkness starting to mix with her powers. She made the knife the witch hunter was holding become extremely hot until he had to drop it, but making sure that it wasn’t too hut to hurt Cassie’s friend._

_As soon as he dropped the knife, Cassie took hold of her friend’s hand and they started running, looking back to see other witch hunters after them. Seeing this, Alessia trailed a fire behind her sister and friend, making a long streak so the witch hunter’s wouldn’t be able to jump over it or put it out quickly. Feeling eyes upon her, Alessia turned to the witch hunter on the boat who was watching her carefully, confused to have noticed what had happened. Raising an eyebrow Alessia froze the deck of the boat, before making it burst into flames, the witch hunter falling back with fear and wonder as the elements finally died down. He looked up towards her, wondering who her father was as he knew that she have to have some Balcoin blood in her if she was able to do what she was able to in a boat made of ashwood._

_“Alessia!” Cassie cried, grateful._

_“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Alessia suggested, still not looking away from the witch hunters who were now starting to make their way out of town. “Your grandmother is home and she is all right now.”_

_“Alessia?” a voice echoed distinctly._

_Alessia frowned, turning around. When she didn’t see anyone she continued running after her sister and her friends. The new male witch, Jake Armstrong, is the older brother of Nick, the boy she had saved from Abaddon not that long ago. He was a witch hunter, having come back to town for some reason, wanting to destroy the circle while keeping his brother safe. But in the end he fell for Cassie and tried to protect her and the circle._

_“Sia! Wake up!”_

_“She can’t be dead, right?”_

_“ **Alessia**!”_

_Alessia stopped and looked around confused. She was the only one hearing the voice, she knew, for her sister and the others continued to the cars nearby. Suddenly she felt darkness covering her and Alessia fell unconscious, hearing her name being yelled out once again._

 

**5**

 

Alessia gasped for air, sitting up just the slightest with the help of Graham, her eyes wide open. She looked around her, seeing all the concern faces from everyone. She slowly stood to her feet, grateful that they were steady with a bit of shakiness, and quickly felt within. It seemed almost too good to be true when she felt no darkness trying to grasp at her and take control as she build up a force field of power around her. She quickly brought it back inside her, gasping and sobbing, smiling slightly as she looks towards Emma, who was looking at her confused.

“My father’s dead,” she tells them, sobbing just a bit more. “The darkness that he had given me has gone with him to hell because he’s now **_dead_**!”

Emma moves and hugs her best friend, letting her being to cry against her shoulder. “You’re free, Sia. You’re free!”

However their happiness was short lived as a voice rose high with worry and panic. They all turned to their left, seeing one of the dwarves, Grumpy, running towards them, pointing behind him. Dread and fear returned to everyone and the fact of what was happening fell on their shoulders, burdening them all once again.

“It’s here!” Grumpy yells, running towards them. “It’s here! The curse! It’s here!” he studdenly stops before them, panting. “It’s coming! From all sides. There’s no escape!”

Emma and Alessia’s grips on each other tightened, looking at each other. Henry looks to his father, hugging him, wanting the comfort his parents were only able to do. Charming hugged Snow to him as Grumpy move past to hug Granny.

“It’s not too late, we can still stop it right? Regina?” Charming asked, almost panting with fear of the answer.

“Yes. Yes.” Regina whispered, looking down at the scroll in her hands.

“Wh-what’s the price?” Emma asked worriedly, moving to Regina’s side. “Gold said that there was a price. What’s our price?”

Regina swallows, taking a few steps away from Emma and then turns to face them, then takes one step back towards Emma. “It’s not **_our_** price. It’s mine.”

“What are you talking about?” Emma questioned confused.

“It’s what I felt, when I…” Regina looked down at the scroll once more, feeling so much emotion, then back up at Emma. “First held it. I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most.”

Emma’s eyes widen as she turned to their son, wrapping an arm around Henry as he walked over to her, looking back to Regina. “Henry?”

“I can never see him again.” Regina tells her, her voice breaking just the slightest. “I **_have_** no choice. I **_have_** to undo what I started.”

“The curse that brought us to _Storybrooke_.” Snow states, confused.

“That **_created_** _Storybrooke_.” Regina corrects her, before looking at everyone. “It doesn’t belong here. And neither do **_any of us_**.”

“Breaking the curse destroys the town.” Charming summarize.

“It will wink out of existence as though it were never here.” Regina tells him, taking a deep breath of what she was about to say next. “And everyone would go back to where they’re from. Prevented from ever returning.”

“You’ll go back to the Enchanted Forest?” Emma asked confused.

Alessia slipped her hand into Graham’s, gripping hard with sadness. They looked towards each other, the witch frowning, before looking back at Regina, wondering what else she was going to say that was going to affect everyone.

“All of **_us_**. Except Henry.” Regina answers Emma softly, “He will stay here because he was born here.”

“ ** _Alone_**?” Emma and Alessia asked concerned.

“No,” Regina moves towards Emma, lowering her voice softly, “you will take him, because you’re the savior. And you were created to break the curse. And once again, you can escape it.”

“I-I don’t want to. We’ll both go back with everyone.” Emma states, holding Henry close to her.

Regina shakes her head, trying to hold back her emotions. “That’s not an option. I **_can’t_** be with him. If I don’t pay the price, none of this will work.”

Thunder suddenly boomed all around them, the wind picking up. Everyone looked around them, knowing that the cloud that was the curse was coming closer.

“Emma, you have to go.” Snow told her daughter brokenly.

“I just found you.” Emma stated, devastated.

“And now it’s time for you to leave us again.” Snow tells her daughter just as devastated, “For your best chance. For **_his_**.”

“No. N-no I-I…” Emma starts, looking around at the others, Alessia taking hold of her hand as well. “I’m…not…done, I’m the savior, right? I’m supposed to bring back all the happy endings, that’s what Henry always said.”

“Happy endings aren’t always what we think they will be. Look around you,” Snow tells her, holding back her own tears. “You’ve touched the lives of everyone here.”

Emma frowns at her mother, “But we’re a family.”

“Yes, and we always will be. You gave us that.”

“You and henry can be a family and you can get your wish.” Charming tells her, smiling with such sadness that it hurt to look at. “You can be like **_everyone_** else, you can be happy.”

“It’s time for you to believe in yourself, Emma.” Snow tells her, “It’s time for you to find hope.”

Regina cleared her throat from any emotion. “I’ve known you for some time, and all I’ve wanted was for you to get the hell out of my life so I can be with my son.” she tells her good naturally, smiling down at Henry. “But really what I want…is for Henry to be happy. We have no choice, you **_have_** to go.”

Emma holds back her cries and her sobs, nodding at the truth behind Regina’s words hitting her deeply like none of the others have done so before. “Okay.” she whispered, finally agreeing.

“I guess it’s a good thing Sia packed all your stuff and put it in your car already.” Graham tells her, everyone looking at the witch.

She shrugged a shoulder, “I had a feeling.”

Emma inhaled sharply, knowing about those feelings. “Okay, let’s get the hell out of here.”

 

**5**

 

It wasn’t the whole town that came to say goodbye, only those closes to Emma when she and Alessia had come into town. They were all standing at the edge of the town line, the green storm clouds belonging to the curse getting only closer. The seven dwarves, Granny, Ruby, Tinkerbelle, Blue fairy, and Archie. Emma and Henry hugged them all as Alessia merely stood back with Graham, Regina and Killian. With the thunder from the curse getting closer the witch turned to Regina and hugged her. No words were needed as the once Evil Queen seemed to understand what the young witch was telling her through the hug. They smiled softly to each other before Alessia walked over to Killian. He gave her his saucy grin, holding out his arms.

Alessia rolled her eyes but walked into his embrace, hugging him back. “She’ll remember you and the feelings whatever you both share will come forth.” she whispered.

“I don’t know about that, love.” Killian whispered back, doubting the feelings.

Pulling back, the witch smiles up at him, “Don’t lose hope, Pirate. It’s beneath you.”

Killian laughs, nodding. Alessia turns and walks over to Neal, holding out her hand. Neal grins back and shakes her head, knowing that the witch never liked him because of what he did to Emma ten years ago. He couldn’t blame her, but Neal was grateful that the witch didn’t go and put a spell on him or go as far and kill him. Alessia smirked, having a feeling what Neal was thinking about, having had the same thoughts when he had shown up. However Emma had stopped her, but not without wanting to let the witch pay him back for what he did.

Alessia walked back over to Graham, hugging him. He sighed, closing his eyes as he placed his chin on top of her head, not wanting to let her go. Alessia closed her eyes, hating the thought of not remembering Graham. She consciously heard Henry and Regina talking, then Emma and Neal. She takes a deep breath, pulling back and giving every intention of saying goodbye when Graham slammed his lips against hers. Alessia kissed back, holding back tears. Graham then pulls back, brushing a few strays of her hair from her face and framing it.

“I **_will_** see you again.” he whispered brokenly to her, rubbing his thumb over her cheek.

Alessia swallowed, inhaling a shaky breath. “Yes, you will.”

She slowly moved out of his arms and walked towards the yellow bug, feeling her heart break just a bit more. She saw Killian and Emma talking quietly, the both of them smiling in the end before Killian walked away. Emma looked desperately at Alessia, who no doubt looked the same way, the thunder from the curse sounding closer and closer. Then the feeling of dread settled over the witch and Alessia couldn’t help but think about Will. What has happened in Wonderland since she had left and he has gone back? Was he all right? Were they **_all_** alright?

She was brought back to the present when Regina called out to them, walking closer to talk. “There’s something I haven’t told you guys yet.”

“What now?” Emma asked desperately.

Regina inhales, trying to hold it together. “When the curse washes over us, it will send us all back. **_Nothing_** will be left behind,” she stops, hesitating, before saying, “ ** _including_** your memories. It’s just what the curse does. _Storybrooke_ will no longer exist, it won’t **_ever_** have existed. So these last years will be gone from your memories, **_all_** three of you. And we just go back to being stories again.”

Emma frowns, not knowing how to process this new information. “What will happen to us?”

“I don’t know,” Regina tells her truthfully, shrugging slightly.

“It doesn’t sound much like a happy ending.” Emma mutters, not knowing what else to say.

Regina smiles ironically, “It’s not, but I can give you one.”

“You can preserve our memories?” Alessia asked, knowing that she didn’t have any spell to stop the curse from affecting them.

Regina shakes her head at the witch, “No, I can do what I did to everyone else in this town and give you new ones”

“You cursed them, and they were miserable.” Emma tells her, afraid of what Regina will do to their memories.

“They didn’t have to be.” Regina tells her truthfully, taking Emma’s left hand, “My gift to you is good memories, a good life for you,” she stops and turns to hold out her free hand for their son, Henry quickly coming over and taking her hand, “And Henry. You’ll never have given him up.  You’ll have always been together,” she smiles to a worried Alessia, “and you’ve met under similar circumstances.”

“You would do that?” Emma asked, surprised.

Regina nods, desperately holding back her sobs. “When I stop Pan’s curse, and you cross that town line, you will have the life you always wanted.”

Emma shakes her head, “But it won’t be real”

“Well, your past won’t, but your future will.” Regina inhales sharply, “Now go, there isn’t much time left. The curse will be here any minute.”

Before Emma, Henry, and Alessia get in the car and leave, a portal opens up suddenly nearby and out jumps the White Rabbit who is able to cross dimensions. Alessia’s heart stopped at the sight of him, not knowing that she had made a choking sound before walking towards him.

“Will! What’s happened to Will?”

The White Rabbit shakes his head, “You need to go back to Wonderland.”

Alessia turns to Emma with wide eyes, who was shaking her head. “Go, Sia. Go!”

The witch turns to Regina, “Will my memories still be altered if I go to Wonderland?”

Regina shakes her head. “No, your memories will be persevered since the curse won’t take you.”

“Wait, can’t we go to Wonderland and escape the curse?” Charming asked hopeful.

Regina shakes her head, “Unfortunately no, we were meant to be here. I saw it when I touched the scroll.” she softly smiles at the witch, “But I will still make sure that Emma remembers you.”

Alessia inhales, “Thank you.” she turns to the White Rabbit, “Take me to Wonderland.”

The White Rabbit nods and turns around, tapping his foot. The blue portal appears and grows in size, until it was big enough. The White Rabbit jumps in, Alessia walking closer to the edge. She looks back at Emma, who nods encouragingly at her. Alessia silently vows to return before looking back at the portal and jumping without another thought. Due to her concerns and thoughts on what has happened with Will the trip through the portal was short and Alessia fell to a kneel floor behind Cyrus, who was standing next to Alice with Will on the other side and the White Rabbit and the Red Queen standing in front of them.

“So please, let’s take the bottle and get out of here!” The Red Queen demanded, nearly jumping on the spot.

They all turned up at the storm clouds, thundering with lighting flashing, coming closer towards them. Alessia shook her head, wondering what was going on that day with storms of clouds acting like a thunderstorm that is about to wipe them from existence.

Alice begrudgingly looks towards the White Rabbit, “Rabbit, dig your hole.”

“Where to?” he asked confused.

“To my world!” Alessia yells at him, quickly standing and moving towards them, “To a land without magic!”

“Sia!” Alice and Will yelled, the White Rabbit quickly turning and making a portal.

Will smiles widely at the sight of the witch, the Red Queen seeing red. However Cyrus looks up at the clouds and his eyes widen when he sees a lightning bolt starting to form.

“Look out!”

The Red Queen holds up her arms, the bottle in her hand getting struck by the bolt, which then bounced off of it and towards Will. He flew a few ways back as did the bottle from the Red Queen’s hand. Alessia threw her arm at the bottle, a bubble of water forming and flying towards her as she ran towards Will at the same time. The witch fell to her knees by Will’s head, placing it on her lap as she tried to calm him down, her tears falling on to him.

“I have you, Will, I have you.” she tells him, her heart breaking from all the sadness that she’s experience in the last couple of minutes, the bottle falling next to her.

“What happened, is he–?” Alice started but trailed off as an orange glow washed over her.

Cyrus cried out her name, catching her and holding her in her arms. The Red Queen stood in the middle, glaring with confusing and hurt at the witch, not able to believe that Will has gone and fallen in love with her in such a short time. She never thought it would be possible, but seeing how Will was reacting to the witch told the Red Queen otherwise.

“What is it? What’s happening?” Cyrus demanded, confused.

The Red Queen looks over to them and her eyes widen, “The wish! The first wish she made! She protected Will from Jafar!”

Cyrus muttered, what Alessia assumed, the wish that Alice had made. But all the witch could do as she smoothed Will’s short hair back was how heartbroken she felt as Will pants for breath and in pain. She wished that there was something she can do, a spell that she knew that can save Will’s life. But there was none as it was the law of their magic. Should a witch bring back someone from the dead or that was dying the consequence would be that the person will never be the same person. They will have a demon in them, at first acting like a zombie, before the demon had time to take over.

“Please, Will, my powers don’t work in healing someone dying!” she whispered, leaning towards him and placing her left hand over his heart. “ ** _Please_**!”

Will continues to gasp, his own left hand finding hers and intertwining their fingers. Alessia screw her eyes shut tightly, kissing his forehead as she cried against his skin, her other hand having gone underneath his and hugging him to her. His other hand found hers as well and also intertwined their fingers, his own tears falling to the side of her eyes.

“You came,” Will gasped, his fingers tightening. “I called the White Rabbit and asked him to bring you a few days ago.”

Alessia raised her head, shaking it. “Dimension jumping is a bit tricky, you know.” she tries to hold back her sobs, looking down into his hazel eyes, hearing Cyrus pleading with Alice to make a wish. “Damn it, I should have come back with you. Then none of this would have happened!”

Will inhales painfully, letting her right hand go and bringing it to her face. He brushed a few strays hair from her face before trailing his fingers down her jawline and over her lips. Alessia kissed his fingers, more tears falling, as he slid his hand back down to his chest. She wasn’t sure if what she was feeling was due to the roller coaster of what’s gone through that day or because she really did fall in love with Will.

“Cyrus!” Will yells, panting, as he moves his head to face them. “I can save her!”

Cyrus stops, hesitating, before looking over his shoulder. “How?”

“Because that’s my bloody wish!” Will tells him, panting harder.

“What’s he talking about?” Cyrus demands at Alessia, confused.

Alessia shakes her head, looking down at Will, who explained. “Alice promised,” he starts, stopping to pant, “If I helped find you,” Alessia bit her lower lip, knowing Will needs to stop as he continues to pant even more heavily. “I get a wish.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Cyrus mutters after looking down at Alice and then looks back at Will. “Be **_very careful_** what you wish for, Will!”

Will looks down at his hand as he glowed red and opened his palm to see a small, red diamond that was to be his wish.

“I wish,” Will begins, stopping as he needed to pant for breath. “To end Alice’s suffering.”

A ring of power flowed out from Will and towards Alice and Cyrus, stopping. Alessia frowned as she watched Will disappeared before her eyes, wondering what exactly just happened. She looked up but noticed that the Red Queen looked just as distraught as she felt. Alessia takes hold of the bottle and stands, feeling it hard to breathe as her heart broke another notch. She watched as Alice finally wakes, confused as to what had happened.

“But, **_how_**?” Alice asked to whatever Cyrus said.

Cyrus pulls back from the hug, “The Knave, he used his wish.”

Alice shakes her head, “But that was the third wish! Why aren’t you in your bottle?”

Cyrus looks down, “My binds, they’re gone.” he told her confused, before smiling up at Alice. “They’re gone. Alice I’m free!”

“I don’t understand,” Alice asked, still confused.

“The knave,” the White Rabbit starts, getting everyone’s attention. “He wished to end your suffering. Part of your pain was not being able to be with the one you loved.”

“Will, you’re a genius!” Cyrus cried with a wide grin, turning but stopped when he noticed Alessia holding the bottle but no Will. “Where is he?”

“He’s gone,” Alessia said, giving a shuddering sob. “He was here and now he’s gone!”

“What do you mean? What happened to the Knave?” Alice asked, getting even more confused as both she and Cyrus stood, facing the witch.

“Oh, no!” Cyrus muttered as he realized what had happened.

“Wh-what? Where is he?” the Red Queen demanded.

Cyrus points at the bottle in Alessia’s right hand, the woman looking down at it. Inhaling a shuddering breath, Alessia went to rub it when she suddenly felt a pang in her heart. It was almost something similar to what she felt on Killian’s ship when she had to send Will back to Wonderland. Both Cyrus and Alice moved towards her, Alessia holding on to Cyrus’ arm tightly.

“Emma,” Alessia whispered.

Cyrus and Alice both shook their heads, not understanding what was going on. Though, Cyrus was wondering more of who this woman was and how both Alice and Will knew of her. With wide eyes full of fear Alessia looks up between the two love birds, wondering just how long has it been since she’s been gone from her own time and what could exactly have happened in the time period of everyone going back and her leaving at the state line.

She then looked over to the White Rabbit. “Rabbit, dig your hole **_now_**!”

Taken aback the White Rabbit turns back around and begins to dig a portal. Alice takes hold of the witch’s arm, grabbing her attention. The fear she saw in her eyes stopped her from asking what was happening. Whatever pain Alessia had felt seemed to have really affect her. As soon as the Rabbit was done the witch walked around the couple and over to the portal, looking down at it.

“Thanks Rabbit,” Alessia said quietly.

“You are most welcome, Alessia.”

“We’re coming with you!” Alice tells her, coming to stand next to her. “In case you need help with whatever is going on.”

Alessia swallowed, nodding her head in thanks as she couldn’t find her voice to do so. The witch and Alice weren’t that close, nor were they even friends. But here she was, this young woman helping out a–practically stranger–out of the goodness of her heart. The Red Queen suddenly cried out angrily, stopping the three of them from jumping into the portal.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” the Red Queen demanded as she moved towards them, “If you’re all just going to **_leave_** then leave that bottle and Will here!”

Alessia frowned, staring at the older woman. “You would love that, wouldn’t you?” the witch faced her, tilting her head up staring at the woman right in the eyes. “ _Deleri memoria, nescis quo abierunt! Deleri memoria, oblitus quid venisti!_ ” the Red Queen stopped, her eyes glazing over. “Let’s go,” Alessia tells the couple, turning back to face the portal. “Oh, and Rabbit, you might want to get going before the Red Queen sees you and captures you again.” with that said Alessia jumped in first, followed by Alice, then Cyrus.

The White Rabbit looked on, smiling. “Good luck to you all.” he whispered before quickly leaving, the portal closing up behind them.

He had hid in the bushes nearby, watching as the Red Queen had come to and frowned at the area she was in. Shaking her head she had turned and started walking away. The White Rabbit chuckled quietly. It seemed whatever spell the witch had put on the Red Queen had worked.

 

**5**

 

Alessia groaned as she bounced off a bed, wondering why it was so bouncy. She watched as Alice and Cyrus came through the portal a few seconds later, but did not bounce off the bed as she did. The witch wondered if it was only her luck that she had to go bouncing off things. Alice laughed as she bounced on her own, marveling at the items around the room. Alessia slowly stood up, whimpering in pain at the feel of her lower back. She looked out of the open window and frowned at the city.

“New York, really?” she questioned, wondering why Emma decided to live there.

However, she couldn’t think on it anymore as there was a loud pounding sound, making the witch remember where they were and why. She quickly rushed out of the room, looking up and down the hallway, hearing Killian and Emma talking to her left. Running down the hall, Alessia nearly slipped against the table and chair nearby, seeing Emma kneeing Killian in the groin and pushed him out the door, asking what he was doing. Henry, sitting a table nearby, asked if she was all right but the witch ignored him as she watched the seen before her.

“A long shot, I had to try.” Killian tells her in a strained voice, holding his manhood. “I was hoping you felt as I did.” he told her truthfully.

“All you’re gonna feel are the handcuffs when I call the cops.” Emma tells him.

“Look, I know this seems crazy, but you have to listen to me! You have to remember!” Killian yelled as Emma was slamming the door.

“No!” Alessia yelled, Emma whipping around startled.

“Sia…who the hell are those two?” Emma questioned, frowning at Alice and Cyrus behind her.

Alessia merely shook her head and ran towards the door, opening it to see Killian about to leave, but leaning against the wall. “Killian!”

“Oh, thank gods, you’re here love!” Killian said with a smile, grateful that there was still someone that remembers.

“You **_know_** this lunatic?” Emma questioned confused.

Alessia moved towards Killian and hugged him before quickly ushering him inside. “How long has it been since both the curses have ended?”

Killian stopped with a frown, Alessia turning to face him. “Love, it’s been over a **_year_**.”

Alessia eyes widen, her hand dropping from his. “A year, really?”

“Listen, there isn’t much time.” Killian tells her, shaking his head. “Love, everyone back at the _Enchanted Forest_ is in trouble. We need to leave **_now_**!”


	14. Chapter 14

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 14**

“I’m sorry, but what the **_hell_** is going on?” Emma demanded confused, “And who **_are_** these people? **_Where_** did they come from? Where did **_you_** come from, I didn’t see you last night?”

Alessia leaned against the wall, staring at Killian. A year. A whole year gone without her in it. A whole year where Emma saw her there when in reality she was in Wonderland. But if the entire town has gone back to the _Enchanted Forest_ , then how the hell was Killian **_here_**? Back in **_their_** world? Alessia was suddenly startled out of her thoughts as she felt a hand take hold of her arm, the woman turning to see the concern looks from Alice. Her hand tightening around a unique bottle, the witch came back to herself and looked down at it.

“Will,” she whispered.

She went to rub it when Killian spoke up again. “Love?”

Taking a deep breath, Alessia pushed off the wall, looking to Emma. There were too many problems to solve at the moment. Too many thoughts running through her head that the witch felt as though she was going to explode. One fairy tale at a time, Alessia looked between Emma, Killian, and Henry–who was now standing slightly behind Emma with a frown, trying to figure out what was happening.

“Do you remember **_anything_** that had happened from last year?”

“Yeah, our apartment in Boston caught fire and we moved here for a fresh start with Henry. Don’t **_you_** remember?” Emma tells her with a frown.

Alessia shook her head and was about to say something when instead she looked at Henry and his backpack sitting nearby. “Henry, how about you go on and go to school, huh?”

Everyone turned to the boy, who rolled his eyes and turned over to the table. He quickly shoved a forkful of his eggs, and swallowed half his coco, and grabbed his bag. Alessia couldn’t help but smile at him, seeing just how grown up the kid had become in the year without his memories. The witch wondered what it was that had made him grow as quickly in the year that she had seemed to have lost.

Henry shrugged on his back and turned to look at all the adults. “I know when I’m not wanted. See you later mom, Sia.”

“Bye sweetheart.” Emma called, smiling apologetic.

As soon as the door closed, Alessia looked to Killian. “ ** _What happened_**? How are you back?”

“Her parent’s kingdom has been cursed again– ** _everyone_** has been cursed again. They’ve been rigged **_back_** to _Storybrooke_.” Killian tells the witch desperately.

Alessia groans, covering her face with both her hands and the bottle. “ ** _Why_**? **_How_**?”

Killian shakes his head, looking back to Emma. “That’s something her parents would have to explain.”

“I don’t **_have_** any parents!” Emma yells angrily, shaking her head.

“How are we going to get her memories back?” Alessia asked the pirate, ignoring her best friend for now. “Because I don’t have the power to counter any spell that’s from your world.”

Killian sighs, taking out a blue bottle from his pocket. “This is a potion that will help jog back her memory.”

“Oh, yeah, drink the thing the crazy guy’s offering.” Emma scoffed, shaking her head.

“Emma, **_listen_**!” Alessia demanded, looking towards her. “Tell me you haven’t been feeling like none of what you’ve been living is right. That you’ve been living in a life of lies?”

Emma shakes her head, “What has this guy done to you? Listen to yourself Sia! Kingdoms? Curses?”

“Trust your **_gut_** , Emma!”

Emma frowned, tilting her head slightly with confusion. Alessia takes the bottle from Killian and thrusts towards Emma. She sighs with resigned, taking hold of it. The witch can see the battle in her eyes, of the life that she and Henry had now she didn’t want to let go. Finally Emma swung her arm towards Killian, taking the vile from him and takes a deep breath. She uncorks it and drinks it, everyone waiting on bated breath. Suddenly the witch can see the memories rushing past her friend’s eyes and looked towards Killian, her heart thudding quickly.

“Hook,” she whispered.

Killian grinned, “Welcome back, love.”

Alessia sighs, grateful to have her friend back. With one problem down, she brings up the lamp Will was stuck in and rubs her hand on it. Red smoke poured out from the tip and started to move in a circle, forming Will until finally he gave a breath at the sight of them all. Both Emma and Killian were surprised and intrigued by what was happening, and what was going to happen now.

“Oh, thank God it’s you lot.” Will muttered, hugging the witch.

Alessia hugs him back, closing her eyes with relief. They pull back, the witch placing the bottle on the table so that her hands were free. Emma gave her a look, grinning, the witch ignoring her friend and Killian, who was also giving her a similar look. She cleared her throat, trying not to let her face turn red, before looking back to Will who had just pulled a hand out of his back pockets of his pants.

“Bloody hell, I think these are for you.” Will muttered, handing them over.

Alessia takes the red rubies as both Killian and Emma frown at them. “Oh, hell.” she muttered, the truth of Will being a genie now true.

“What are they?” Killian asked confused.

“My/Her wishes.” Will and Alessia answered in unison.

Will suddenly stood at attention, looking at Alessia with a forced smile. “My mistress mine, my will is thine, tell me your wishes three.” Alessia starts to laugh, as Will looks at the witch horrified, “Bollocks! I think I’m a genie!”

“We could have told you that,” Alice tells him, smiling.

Will glares at Alessia, “It’s not funny!”

“Oh, yes it is!” Emma responds since Alessia continued to laugh.

Gasping, the witch calmed herself down, leaning against Emma. “Sorry, you’re right, it’s not funny.”

Will’s glare at the witch deepened before shoving a hand through his hair, looking around the room. “So, where are we?”

“New York,” Emma tells him, looking around as well, though sadly.

“It’s been a year since the curse was broken in _Storybrooke_ only for it to be cursed again and appear on the map.” Alessia tells him, shoving her own hand through her hair. “We have to go back.”

Will groans, sagging where he had stood. “Bloody hell.”

“So, what happened?” Emma asked Killian as both Alice and Cyrus started to look around the apartment.

Killian sighs, sitting on the arm of the couch. “Snow and the Queen settled their difference. Frankly, I was bored. I had a life to get back to–a **_pirate’s_** life.”

Emma listens to him intently, walking over to the dresser against the wall, beneath the large window. She grabs three small glasses and a bottle of rum, holding out the glasses to Killian and Alessia, giving Killian an amused look. “Glad to see you haven’t changed.” she tells him, pouring them all a good amount of the drink.

Killian looks at Emma, leaning slightly forward with a look of his own. “There wasn’t anything for me in the _Enchanted Forest_. Why would I stay?”

He held out his glass, Emma tapping it with hers before they drank. Alessia looks over to Will with a raised eyebrow, who had the same look himself, with the difference that he was grinning. He then took her glass from her and drank, Alessia glaring at him before grabbing the bottle from Emma and drinking from it.

“All was well, until I got a message,” Killian continued, sitting back once more. “A message saying that there was a new curse and that everyone had been returned to _Storybrooke_. The message told me that the only hope was you.”

Emma raised an eyebrow at the pirate, crossing her arms. “You came all the way back here to save my family?”

“I came back to save you.” Killian told her straight forward, taking another sip of his drink.

Will whistled, holding out his glass to the witch. “Don’t sugarcoat it, now, tell her the truth.” he teased.

The witch rolled her eyes, pouring some more rum in his glass before drinking out of the bottle. “Do you know who could have done this?”

“Someone powerful enough to reach into this world.” Killian scoffs, finishing his drink.

Emma gave him a look, raising an eyebrow. “Any more specific thoughts?”

“Alas you’re the savior, not me.” Killian teased.

Alessia snorted, drinking some more rum before handing over the bottle to Killian, who had poured some more in his glass. “If her being the savior is the solution for everything, then I suggest everyone should get their heads out of their asses and actually open their eyes.”

Emma smirked at her best friend, sipping some of her drink. “You know what I was yesterday?” she started softly, looking down at the amber color of her drink, “A mother…till you both showed up and started poking holes at what I thought was real. When I drank that potion, it was like waking up from a dream–a really **_good_** dream.”

“Well, you have what matters most–your son.” Killian tells her just as softly.

Alessia sighs, crossing her own arms. “I’m sorry, but it’s better to be real rather than be something that you’re not. Trust me, I know.”

Emma frowns in apologetic. “Sia,”

The witch shook her head, forcing a smile. “It’s fine, but Killian’s right, you have your son, who matters the most.”

Emma sighs, looking up at the ceiling. “Now I have to figure out how I’m going to explain this to him.”

“Alas, I can only scavenge together enough for **_one_** dose of memory potion.” Killian tells her, shrugging his shoulders.

Alessia frowns at this news and moved towards the dresser to look out of the window, her mind racing quickly. She wondered if she would be able to use her powers to bring forth Henry’s memories, but it could be dangerous as she didn’t have her the darkness inside her anymore. The witch wasn’t sure just how powerful she was anymore, what with everything that has been going on and going between worlds there hasn’t been time to test out her powers.

“Do you think you can use your powers, Sia?” Emma asked suddenly, bringing the witch out of her thoughts.

“It was what I was just thinking,” Alessia tells her best friend, turning around to face her friends. “And I don’t want to risk it with untested powers.” she sighs, wrapping her arms around her waist, “It seems that I have relied on the power of the darkness far more than I have thought.”

Emma sighs herself, draining the rest of her drink. “I guess I better start figure out what I’m gonna tell him.”

Before anyone can say anything else the doorbell rang, everyone turning towards the door. Cyrus and Alice were the only two that were looking around the apartment, frowning with confusion as they wondered where that sound came from. Confused herself, Emma moves past them to the front door, pressing the intercom button. Alessia looks back at Killian, finally noticing the object on his left hand.

“Nice hand,”

Killian grinned, holding up his fake hand. “Well, I couldn’t really go running about with a hook now, can I?”

Alessia nods, looking back at Emma as she answered the door. “Yeah?”

 _“Hey gorgeous.”_ a man’s voice answered.

Alessia raised an eyebrow, watching Emma close her eyes and bow her head. Killian also raised an eyebrow, waiting for the savior to say something. After a few minutes both Alessia and Killian asked, “Who’s that?”

“Walsh.” Emma sighed, looking over her shoulder at them.

“I could get rid of him,” Killian started, pushing off the couch.

“No.” Emma tells him sharply, not moving from her place. “My memories might not be real, but he is,” she paused her, Alessia seeing the struggle that receiving her memories has caused her. “And so are the eight months we spent together. I owe **_him_** an explanation.”

Alessia placed a hand on Killian when he went to speak, pushing him down on the arm once more as Emma lets Walsh in. She tells him to go up on the roof and to give her five minutes to change out of her pajamas.

“What are you gonna to say to him?” Alessia asked once Emma moved away from the intercom.

Emma looks up at her friend with distraught, shaking her head sadly. “I don’t know, but I care about him too much to drag him into all this.” she then looks pointing-ly at Killian, “Wait here.”

“Ah!”

Everyone suddenly turned to Alice, who had jumped back when ice cubes fell from the fridge, while the lights above them started to flick on and off by Cyrus. Alessia smiles as Emma groans, feeling as though she was dealing with children. Which she might as well be as neither Alice nor Cyrus had seen this modern world before. The witch nods towards Emma’s direction, who quickly nods gratefully in return.

“Go on Em’s, take care of Walsh while I go pack our bags before we have to pick up Henry from school.”

“Wait, what about Jafar and Wonderland?” Alice asked confused, frowning at the witch.

Emma gives Alessia a small smile before she walks down the hall. Alessia turns to the younger woman, placing her hands on her hips, “One problem at a time. And right now Emma needs me first.”

Alice frowned as the witch walked in the same direction as Emma–who seemed to decide to leave the two fairy tales to deal with themselves and be curious around the apartment–moving to go follow, but Cyrus placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. Will, however, followed after the witch as Killian merely filled his glass once more with rum. Will leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. He was quiet for once, watching as the witch moved about her room that she has never set foot until that day. Yet it seemed she knew where everything was, despite the fact a year has pass.

But the question remained: how did both Emma and Henry not know Alessia wasn’t with them for a whole year? And what should they do about Jafar and _Wonderland_ now?

“There’s too many questions and not enough time to answer them, Will.” Alessia tells him, moving away from her open bag. I want to help _Wonderland_ , but Emma will **_always_** come first, as she would help with my problems first.”

“I get it, Sia, you don’t have to convince me.” Will tells her, pushing off the doorframe. “It’s like you said, it’s a lot of questions and not enough time to find the answers.” Alessia sighs as Will wrapped an arm around her shoulders, placing her head on his shoulder. “But there is one question you might be able to answer.”

Alessia hummed, “What’s that?”

“What do you see in wolf boy?”

The witch coughed, turning slightly red, as she moved out of Will’s arm and walked back to the main area of the apartment. “Bugger off Will.”

Will laughs, following after the witch. “Oh, going British now? I guess wolf boy’s a sensitive topic for ya?”

Alessia stopped at the entrance, turning to a grinning Knave of Hearts. “Will, I mean this as a friend, **_sod off_**!”

Will’s eyebrows shot up as high as they could, grinning after the witch. “Using my own words to Alice, ooh ho! Wolf boy’s **_really_** special for you then!”

Alessia turned, dropping her bag, as she glared at the Knave. “Don’t forget I’m both a witch and cop, so I **_have_** a gun **_and_** magical powers, and I won’t be afraid to use **_either_** of them!”

Will holds up his hands in surrender and was about to say something when they heard a crash, followed by a shrieking sound from above them. Not waiting one second Alessia ran, Will and Killian not far behind her with Alice and Cyrus taking up the rear. The witch felt her heart pounding hard against her chest, praying that Jafar hadn’t found his way to her world and was now attacking Emma to get to her. Although Emma could hold off on her own, having Jafar in **_their_** world was a bad combination all around for everyone!

“Emma/Swan!” Killian and Alessia yelled as the witch pushed through door first to see Emma looking down at the street below.

“What the blazes was that?” Killian questioned further, fear evident in his voice.

Emma slowly turns to face the group, feeling of burdensome upon her face. “A reminder that I was never safe.” here she paused, shaking her head as Alessia frowned with sadness at her, “That what I wanted, what I thought I could have, was not in the cards for the savior.”

Alessia walks over to Emma and hugged her, as she closed her eyes and hugged the witch back tightly. She pulled back, smiling gratefully to her friend–since they both had a destiny that will never let them go–before taking a deep breath. She suddenly frowned as she looked over Alice and Cyrus, not knowing who they were or what they were going to do with them now that they had to go back to _Storybrooke_. Seeing her friend’s looking towards the two love birds, the witch nods, holding out her arm at them.

“Emma, Alice and Cyrus–who used to be the genie. Guys, Emma.” she sighs, pushing a hand into her hair. “By any chance you have clothes for them?” she asked tiredly.

“Afraid not.” Emma muttered, staring at Alice and Cyrus. “But we can go and buy some for them. I think I rather leave in the morning, that way Henry can settle for the night before I tell him… ** _something_**.” she tells them seriously.

Alessia nods, looking at the group. “All right, let’s go back in the apartment before something **_else_** happens.” she stopped and turned to Emma with confusion, “By any chance do I have car? Because we are all **_not_** going to fit in your yellow bug!”

Emma frowns at the realization and nods. “No, but I know someone who won’t be needing their truck anymore.”

 

**5**

 

Alessia sighs with relief as the hot water washed over her. What felt like years instead of just a day–from when she left before the curse broke and returning to New York when a year had passed–the shower was a welcomed one. Even sleeping on a bed with no nightmare to disturb and wake her felt wonderful and left her refreshed. What did wake her, however, was the idiotic of Will Scarlet jumping on top of her, telling her to get up as everyone else was already up and about and were getting ready to leave once their other friend came.

Her thoughts traveled back to her powers and wondered just how limited she was now. It was true what she had told them; Alessia had relied on the darkness to be powerful and now that she didn’t have that who knows how powerful, or weak, she was. She brought up her hand and watched the water move over her hand, feeling the magic stir within her but holding back due to fear of what her powers had come down to.

Closing her eyes the witch flicked off the water and quickly got out. Her heart was thrumming wildly against her ribs and pulsing in her neck and wrists, as the magic inside her hummed with energy, wanting to burst out of her to be used. Drying herself quickly, Alessia donned her underwear, skinny jeans, and her black boots before, drying and straightening her hair in only her bra. She then put on her dark green cowl neck sweater, the neckline falling just above her breast, and merely stared at her reflection.

Her eyes no longer bared the gray color that belonged to her father–and belonged to the darkness–only the bright green color was now visible. Then there was the lack of glow around her. Alessia never noticed it before, but as she continued to stare at her reflection her once tanned skin looked alive, healthy-like but now it only seemed to be dull. Truthfully there was no words in how to describe it, but that was the only way she knew. No one really noticed the change, but who would after all that has happened in the last day…or year, however one wants to see it.

Wanting coffee and food, the witch walked out of the bathroom and back to her room to grab her bag and her leather jacket. Alessia smiled when she walked into the kitchen as Will walked from the entrance with Killian behind him. The ever pirate his trade-mark clothing, along with his long black coat. Alessia, however, couldn’t help notice just how low his vest and tunic was becoming, showing off his chest hair. She grinned when Killian looked towards her, the pirate grinning back and sending a wink towards her.

“You ready, Swan? Sia?” he asked, ready to start heading towards _Storybrooke_.

Emma looked towards her son, taking hold of his shoulder when Henry walked next to his mom. “Uh, Henry, this is Killian. He’s–I’m, um, I’m helping him with his case.”

“And a good friend of mine,” Alessia put in, she and Emma giving each other a look. “From a long time ago.”

Henry raises an eyebrow at the pirate. “Did you skip bail?”

“Oh, he’s still a little spitfire,” Killian tells the two women, shaking his head.

Henry frowned in suspicion at him. “Still?”

“He’s not a perp,” both Emma and Alessia tells him, the witch letting Emma continue. “He’s a client.”

Henry nods, looking back at Killian, frowning now with curiosity. “Why are you dressed like that?”

“Why are **_you_** dressed like **_that_**?” Killian fired back, not one to let others talk bad about his choice of clothing.

“All right, all right.” Emma mutters, shaking her head as was the witch. “Just make yourself useful, Killian, and get our bags. Henry, lend him a hand.”

“Wait, we’re really going?” Henry asked confused and excited at the same time.

Emma sighs to herself, “Yes. I just need one last thing.” she tells them.

Alessia looks over to Will, Alice, and Cyrus, who were waiting to get their on instructions in what they should do now as well. She walked over to Will and hand him her bag and the car keys that once belonged to Walsh, the flying monkey. Emma walked over to the closet that was near the entrance of the apartment, the witch knowing what she was going to get.

“Can you please explained to them what it is that we’re going to be riding in and what they should **_not_** do while I’m driving?” Alessia asked him, nodding her head to both Alice and Cyrus, who were looking on with confusion.

Will grins, taking her bag and keys, “Sure thing love.”

As they walked out, the witched walked just behind Emma, seeing her taking hold of her red leather jacket, Alessia putting on her blue leather jacket at the same time. Emma holds the jacket in her hands, seeming to be lost in thought, before she exhales and puts it on over the dress she was wearing. Emma closed the doors and turns, the two best friends silently having a conversation that they did not want to have out loud. Suddenly, Alessia grinned, pushing her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, rocking slightly back on her boots.

“A year ago we once left from the city and went to a town we knew nothing about or what to expect. Now, a year later we’re leaving a city and going to a town we don’t know what to expect.”

Emma smiled a bit at the irony of their life. “Let’s hope that whatever curse brought everyone back from the _Enchanted Forest_ we won’t have too much difficulty in getting their memories back.”

 

**5**

 

The ride to _Storybrooke_ was both long and entertaining. Alessia had actually got annoyed with both Cyrus and Alice wanting to know everything about the SUV, lowering and closing the windows–until the witch finally locked it and closed the windows herself–playing with their seatbelts, and wanting to touch the radio. Despite Will telling them what they shouldn’t have done, they still did it anyways. It wasn’t until finally it was dark and they were an hour out of _Storybrooke_ that the couple had fallen asleep.

Alessia exhaled as she followed Emma in her bug, passing the clock tower, _Granny’s Diner_ , _Marine Garage_ , and finally they parked in front of Snow’s apartment building. Taking her keys after cutting the engine, Alessia and Will get out of the car, closing their doors as quietly as they can so as to not wake the sleeping couple. Walking over to Emma, Alessia also looked around the town that she only left just hours ago. In her mind, at least.

“It’s really back.” Emma said with surprise wonder, Killian moving around to stand just behind her. “ ** _I’m_** really back.”

“As quaint and homey as you remembered?” Killian teased.

“As cursed as I remembered.” Emma muttered softly.

Alessia frowns as she watches Killian takes something out from his pocket. She laughs quietly as she sees his hook, putting it back in its place. “That’s more like it, isn’t Swan?”

“How are you gonna to explained that to him?” Emma questioned, nodding to her sleeping son.

“Well, that’s more your concern.” Killian says, looking back at Emma, “Well, perhaps it will jog his memory?”

“Or give him nightmares.” she accused before looking around the quiet road. “Last time this curse took away everyone’s memories. This time…”

Killian shakes his head, looking from Emma to the witch. “We don’t know what it did.”

“Then I’ll find out.” Emma states seriously.

Alessia nods and nods to Will. “We’re going to go to his apartment real quick, to get something.”

Will frowns, looking at the witch confused. “Get **_what_** exactly?”

Alessia sighs, turning to face him. “Your **_heart_**! Jafar is going to come after you now that you’re a genie, but I have a feeling that your heart is going to come in handy.”

Will frowns even further, opening his arms. “Like **_what_**? To **_kill_** me, perhaps?”

“ ** _No_**!” Alessia tells him, rolling her eyes. “He needs you for something bigger, we just need to figure that out.”

“How did you come about this information?” Will asked her suspiciously.

The witch shakes her head, “Another time.”

“Okay,” Emma states, gathering everyone’s attention and turning to Killian. “Stay here and watch Henry. Don’t wake him or scare him or–” she trails off, shaking her head as she begins to walk pass him. “Let him sleep”

“Where are you going?” Killian questioned, looking after her.

Emma sighs, stopping and turning to face Killian. “To talk to my parents.”

Alessia walks backwards, “Look after those two, too.”

She and Will jogs to walk next to Emma, who tilts her head at her. “So, you had another feeling?”

Alessia sighs, looking over to her. “One problem at a time. Talk to your parents, we’ll get his heart, and we’ll meet up in twenty minutes or so?”

Emma nods, “Sounds like a plan.”

As Emma turns off, Will and Alessia continuing forward. They passed the _Marine Garage_ and the _Rabbit Hole_ and up the stairs to the shady apartments. At his door, Will passed the witch and reached up at the threshold to grab the spare key. As soon as the door was opened, Will sighed as he entered his apartment, stretching out his arms as he looked around his home for the past twenty-eight years.

“Nice place,” Alessia muttered, looking at the fairly large apartment as she turned on the place. “How the hell can you afford a place like this?”

Will grins, looking over at her. “With my charms, of course.”

The witch rolls her eyes, “Never mind, don’t tell me.” she raises an eyebrow at all the boxes and lack of personal items. “I guess you never really settled.”

Will shakes his head, walking over to a drawing of Anastasia. “Never truly felt like home.” she nods, watching as he takes off the drawing and darts from the wall. He looks around his place, before looking towards the witch. “Do you mind giving me hand?” he asked, nodding to the walk and taking a step back.

The witch takes a deep breath, giving Will a look before looking at the wall. Concentrating–something that was obviously new to her–the witch brings up her hand at the wall and pushes her magic at it, the wall exploding. She gasps, her eyes wide, as she takes a step back or two. Will, with his eyes just as wide, starts to laugh, walking towards the hole in the wall with the glowing red box inside.

He takes hold of it and turns to the witch, smiling as he holds the box up at her. “Got it.”

Alessia frowns, staring at the box. “Where did you get that box?”

Will frowns curiously, “Why?”

Alessia looks up at Will. “Because it’s one of **_Cora’s_** boxes.” Will merely stared at her, “She’s Regina’s **_mother_**!”


	15. Chapter 15

* * *

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 15**

“Hey, what’s going on?” Emma asked in confused concern.

As Alessia and Will were returning back to Snow’s apartment, they saw Emma steering Henry into Granny’s bed and breakfast, as well as Hook, Alice, and Cyrus. The witch merely shook her head and walked in front of Emma and Henry, Will holding the box that held his heart still following after her. The witch hated that it was nearing dawn and all she wanted now was to sleep until everything that needs solving comes to mind. Of course, if it wasn’t for Killian, Alice, and Cyrus all getting car sick–or motion sickness, however you wanted to see it–the group would have been there earlier the day before. But, **_no_** , it took longer than the eight hours it should have to reach _Storybrooke_!

Inhaling deeply, Emma continued on, muttering the same phrase Alessia had said the day before. Despite that she wanted to know now.

“One problem at a time.”

Alessia nods to both Snow and Charming as she entered the parlor, stopping short when she spots Snow’s stomach. Her mouth falls open, her eyes wide. Snow blushes, smiling wide like any proud mother that she was, Charming also smiling as he came to stand behind Snow, placing a hand on her shoulder. Will places a hand on Alessia’s arm, looking down at Snow with a raised eyebrow.

“Looks like someone’s been busy!”

Both Snow and Charming blushed, Alessia turning to Will and glaring at him. He merely shrugged, continuing to grin, before walking over to the other arm chair to sit down. Alessia sighs, looking back to see Emma walking up the stairs with Henry, then to Alice and Cyrus slowly looking around the room.

“Oh?” Snow said concerned, looking at the couple with confusion.

“Snow, Charming, this is Alice and Cyrus from _Wonderland_ and _Agrabah_. Guy’s, this is Snow White and Prince Charming–um, I mean, Prince David from the _Enchanted Forest_. But they go by Mary Margaret and David here.” Alessia introduced them.

Both Alice and Cyrus bowed or curtsied, “Your highness.”

Alessia grins with amusement as Will laughs. “You don’t have do that here, in this world.” Will tells them.

“ ** _Or_** back home.” Snow tells him, smiling with amusement as well.

“What are you doing here?” Charming suddenly asked, confused and curious.

Alessia sighs as Emma walks back down. “When I went to _Wonderland_ as the curse ended, Jafar was coming after us and we needed to get away.” she shrugs, moving as Emma walked around her to sit on the couch.

Charming continues to frown, however as he looked between the witch and the couple. “So they’ve been with you for a whole year in New York?”

Alessia shakes her head, “No. When we went through the portal I thought we would end up back with Emma and Henry before we went over the line, but instead we ended up in New York a **_year_** later.”

“World jumping, a **_terrible_** thing. And unpredictable.” Will tells them.

The witch nods, sitting on the arm of the couch. “Yeah, well, one problem at a time, huh?”

Emma smirks, looking to her parents. “Yes, Henry’s asleep upstairs. If he asks, you two are helping me with the case, okay? So, what the hell happened here?” she nods to Snow, “I mean, besides the obvious.”

“We don’t know,” Snow tells her daughter. “We watched you drive over the town line with Henry, Regina started to cast her spell to take us all back to the _Enchanted Forest_ and then…” Snow sighs, “Everything went black.”

“And the next thing we remembered is waking up in our beds like it was,” Charming sighed, shaking his head. “Any other morning in _Storybrooke_.”

“Except it clearly wasn’t,” Snow states, looking and pointing down at her large stomach.

“Almost harvest time, but you can’t remember the planting.” Killian states, walking to stand next to Emma by the window. “That’s bad luck, mate.”

Both Alessia and Snow roll their eyes at Killian, as Emma states, “Clearly a year’s past, I was in New York. I know that it did.”

“We don’t know where the hell we were–we don’t even know if we left _Storybrooke_!”

“Aye, you did.” Killian nods, looking almost melancholy. “I was with you all.”

“In the _Enchanted Forest_?” Snow questioned, confused.

“Regina’s spell brought us back, we spent a brief time with a prince and princess named Philip and Aurora.” Killian tells them, “But I wasn’t feeling the community spirit so I ventured off on my own. Last I saw you lot, you were making your way to Regina’s castle.”

“And now you’re cursed, why doesn’t that surprise me.” Emma mutters.

Snow frowns, shaking her head, “Regina seemed as clueless as the rest of us, I’m not sure she was involved in this.”

“So she says,” Emma states.

“I don’t understand it,” Charming starts, looking to Killian. “If you left the _Enchanted Forest_ before the curse, how did you know to find Emma and come to _Storybrooke_?”

“As I was sailing the realms, a bird landed on my ship’s wheel with a note instructing me to retrieved Emma and bring her back here.” Killian tells them, walking closer to Emma, “It was a small vial of memory potion tied to its leg.”

“Who sent it?” Alice asked suddenly, curious to help in any way she can.

Killian looks from the girl to Snow, nodding to her. “I assumed **_you_** did.”

“Message via bird, it dos sound like you.” Charming tells his wife.

Suddenly the door opens, both Will and Alessia quickly standing from their seats, everyone looking at both Grumpy and Happy quickly coming in. The distress and concerned looks that they were having only increased Alessia’s and Emma’s confusion as to what was going on in this town once again.

“What is it?” Charming asked first, standing up straighter.

Grumpy shook his head, “We lost another one, now; we’re down to five now.”

“Four, actually,” Happy tells them, standing next to Grumpy and looking up from his phone, “Bashful’s not answering.”

“Wait,” the witch and savior said in unison, “ ** _what_** is going on here?”

“Thank God you’re back, sister!” Grumpy tells Emma, relieved.

While at the same time Will asks, “Wait, do you really do that? Speak like twins?”

Both Emma and Alessia looked at each other with a look before glaring over at Will, who held up his hands with amusement as Snow spoke up. “It’s not just our memories that are missing. Ever since we woke up people have begun disappearing.”

“Whoever cursed us is picking us off one by one.” Grumpy tells her.

Alessia looks over to Emma with concern, looking to the two dwarves. “Who is exactly missing?”

Charming sighs, gathering everyone’s attention. “Aside from the dwarves, we’re not sure.” he tells them truthfully, tired, “There’s been a lot of confusion over the past few days; it’s been hard to keep track of everyone.”

“Wait, Neal, is he here?” Emma asked hopefully.

Both Snow and Charming looked at each other quickly. “Well, we haven’t found him **_yet_**.”

Emma’s hope slowly diminishes. “So, he might have been taken too.”

“Smart money is on yes.” Grumpy tells her.

Snow glares at the dwarf, scolding him, “Leroy!”

“He’ll turn up, Swan.” Killian tells her quietly, getting her attention. “He always does.”

“Some folks are starting to set up camp in the woods at the edge of town.” Charming tells her, not wanting to see his daughter in any more distress as she was. “Neal **_might_** be there.”

“Or he may never gotten swept up in the curse at all.” Snow offers, smiling softly.

Alessia sighs, looking to Emma, who nods, the both of them having a silent conversation that her parents truly hated. “There’s only one way we’re going to figure all this out.” Emma tells them, standing up, “We need to get your memories back.”

“How are we going to do that?” Snow asks confused.

Alessia crosses her arms, her stance apart like the cop she once was. “By figuring out who took them in the first place.”

“Can you do that?” Alice suddenly asked, getting everyone’s attention again. “With your powers, I mean?”

The witch shook her head, “Unfortunately no, not anymore. Maybe if I had the darkness inside me, but I haven’t even used my powers since the darkness has left. Only once and it was simple spell of erasing us from the Queen of Heart’s memories.”

Will frowns, leaning forward in his seat. “Wait, the darkness is gone? How?”

Alessia shrugged, “My father’s dead. I don’t know how, but once he was killed his soul came for the darkness inside me and then it was taken to hell.”

“Bloody hell,” Will muttered, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. “At least you won’t be blasting water at innocent people that only try to wake you up from your nightmares.”

The witch blushed, glaring at the man, crossing her arms. “All right, how about we all get some rest before we start in the morning in how we go about this?”

Emma nods, “Good idea, I can use some sleep. By the way I didn’t get you a room yet since I wasn’t sure what you were going to do.” she stated, subtly nodding to Will, Alice, and Cyrus.

“Alice and Cyrus can sleep at Will’s place, **_we_** –” Alessia motioned Will and herself “–actually have to talk before we go see Regina.”

Everyone but Killian frowned in confusion, Snow speaking the question on everyone’s mind. “Why do you have to see Regina?”

Alessia nods over to Will, who continued to hold the box. “To put Will’s heart back inside him.”

Emma shook her head, “Why don’t **_I_** just put it back in?”

Alessia frowned at her best friend as though she was crazy. “Because even **_you_** don’t fully trust your magic and I rather not make Will hurt even more than when putting his heart back inside him does!”

“Aww, looking out for me. Aren’t you thoughtful?” Will said, grinning.

Alessia turned to him with a serious look, “Keep at it and I ** _will_** have Emma put that heart back in.”

Will’s grin slipped off his lips, “What? I was giving you a compliment!”

Emma shook her head, “Okay, enough.”

“Wait, why doesn’t he has his heart inside him **_now_**?” Charming asked confused.

Will’s look was one of somber and sadness. “That’s a story for another day.”

Emma gave a look to Alessia, who shook her head. “Okay, everyone let’s go to sleep and Sia, we’ll see you at _Granny’s_ as soon as you’re done with him?”

Alessia nods, “Yeah. Oh, Killian, mind staying with Alice and Cyrus? I don’t want them getting into trouble since they’re not from this time period…or world.”

Killian bows his head at her, “Not to worry, I will keep them safe.”

The witch smiles, looking to Emma who rolls her eyes. Will stands and hands over his key to the pirate, letting him know how to get to his apartment. Once everyone dispersed, Alessia sat on the arm of the couch once more, Will going over to sit on the coffee table, holding the box that contained his heart in his hands.

“Do you supposed Jafar will take Ana as a prisoner and realizes that her memory has been erased?” Will quietly asked.

The witch scrunched her eyes close, “Probably, but I hope when he realizes her memory being erased he will go somewhat easy on her.” she sighs, holding her hands tightly together, “I’m sorry I didn’t take her with us, but I just didn’t trust her.”

Will exhales, nodding. “I know.”

“So,” Alessia starts quietly. “How the hell did you get a heart box from Cora and how did you get your heart taken out in the first place?”

 

* * *

 

To say that Regina was surprised to see Alessia again was an understatement. Alessia first told her who Will was and why they were there, as well as why they had a heart box that belonged to her mother. To say the least, Regina wasn’t all that surprise that her mother had continued to take people’s heart and use them to control those people into doing what she wanted and her bidding or that she was in _Wonderland_ , since Regina was the one to have sent Cora there in the first place. Once she put Will’s heart back inside him he was gasping and crying, now feeling the hurt and the betrayal of Ana back in _Wonderland_.

“Okay Will, you got your heart back, please don’t be a girl!” Alessia teased, hoping it would lift his spirits.

Will laughed, pushing the witch from him. Regina shook her head at them, ushering them out the door so she can get her coffee and breakfast. Alessia smiled sadly at the older woman, knowing why she was preferring the company of the townspeople rather than being home alone. With that thought in mind the witch started telling Regina what had happened when she returned from _Wonderland_ and the fact that Henry doesn’t remember **_anything_** from his old life. Entering the diner through the back way–a short cut of sorts–the three of them ordered coffee, Regina wanting to know all that was happening in _Wonderland_.

“Oh, Will! Alessia!”

At the sound of their names, the three of them turned to see Alice waving at them with a large smile on her face. When she noticed who all was there Alessia went to warn Regina, but it was too late. She accidently dropped her cup at the sight of Henry. The witch took hold of her arm to steady her, looking over to Emma with a look.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Regina tells Henry, who was the only one that was looking at her confused.

“Uh, oh, it’s okay,” Henry tells her confused before looking down at his cup of beverage.

“Regina,” Emma states quietly, quickly moving out of her seat to go over to them. “We need to talk, come on.”

Alessia nods at Emma, exhaling as she shares a look with Will. Before they move towards the table the door opens, and once again the diner is completely quiet as they watch what was to happen next. The witch smiles softly at the sight of Graham, who was staring at her as a man who hasn’t seen water out in the desert for weeks. Knowing what was going to happen, Will takes her cup from her hands and moves away, grinning like an idiot, and wistfully.

“Graham,” Alessia whispered.

At the sound of her voice, the huntsman snaps out of his daze and strides towards her. He takes hold of her face and kisses her deeply and longing. Alessia sighs into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, feeling that year that everyone has experienced pass. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Graham picks her up, forgetting that they were in a public place. It was also then that Alessia knew that her love for Will wasn’t really true, because what she was feeling for Graham at the moment was so much more and completely different. Graham continued to hold her against him as he eased the kiss to a stop and merely placing his forehead against hers.

“I think I’m falling in love with you.” Alessia whispered, keeping her eyes closed.

Graham grinned at her, holding the witch tighter against him. “I think I’m falling in love with you too.”

“Um, Sia?” Emma’s voice cut through the roar of her ears.

The witch jerked back and blushed furiously as she looked to Emma, only to see everyone in the diner staring at them with grins on their faces. She cleared her throat, quickly dropping her arms from Graham’s neck and went to move out of his arms but he merely tightened his hold, not wanting to let her go. This only made her blush even darker, making Emma and their group start to laugh at her. Though before Alessia can threaten them, Graham’s phone started to ring.

“Yeah?” Graham cut his eyes to Emma and Charming, his lips thinning with worry. “Okay, we’ll be right there.” he thumbed off the call, looking grimly at the group. “There’s been another one.”

Knowing what that meant, Alessia walked after Graham, hearing Emma telling Henry to stay with Snow. Getting in the front seat of the cop car the witch saw Will, Alice, and Cyrus getting in with Emma. She wanted to tell them to stay behind, but knew there wasn’t much time to argue. It didn’t take them long to get to the town line, everyone quickly getting out of the cars to see a group of people turning towards them. The witch raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly at the concerned man rushing towards them.

“This, this is where he was taken.” he tells them, as he begins to walk back towards the line.

“I wouldn’t step over that line if I were you.” Emma quickly tells him before he can touch the line.

The mysterious man frowned, looking between Emma and Graham. “You think Little John was carried away because he attempted to cross that line?”

“Well it makes sense, the dwarves were out checking the line to see if anyone was coming or going when they disappeared.” Charming tells them, looking around.

“What exactly took Little John?” Graham asked, hoping that they have some kind of picture of what they were up against.

The mysterious man shook his head, frowning. “We didn’t get a real good look, some manner of beast with wings.”

Emma sighs, looking over to Alessia and Killian. “Sounds a lot like the monster that attacked me in New York.”

“You mean the monster you were gonna marry?” Killian teases.

Emma closes her eyes, internally groaning as Charming looks at his daughter with surprise. “You were gonna marry someone?”

“Did you just **_miss_** the part when I said **_monster_**?” Killian said incredulously.

“We **_need_** to **_find_** Little John.”

“It may lead us to everyone else who’s gone missing. David, take him and the rest of his…” Emma trailed off, not knowing who they were.

“Merry Men,” the mysterious man supplied.

Emma raises an eyebrow, getting a headache all of a sudden. “Right, **_them_** , and run a search grid and see if we can find any sign of our missing guy.”

Killian raises an eyebrow, “You’re not joining us, Swan?”

“Not yet, Regina was right. We’re not gonna figure out who’s behind this curse by talking to people one by one.” Emma tells them with a shake of her head.

“What are you going to do?” Charming asked his daughter.

“I’m gonna talk to everybody.”

“Wait,” Alessia turns to the mysterious man. “Little John, Merry Men? Oh my, **_you’re_** Robin Hood?”

Robin grins, slightly, blushing. “Aye.”

The witch blinked at him, looking him up and down, making the fairy tale man slightly uncomfortable, and a bit of an ego boost. “Wow.”

Graham cleared his throat, wrapping an arm around her waist, everyone grinning with amusement at the jealous sheriff. Alessia nods to Emma for her to go, wanting to stay out there and help search for Little John. Suddenly Robin frowns and steps forward, looking at Will with confusion.

“Well, if it isn’t Will Scarlet!”

Will sighs, grinning. “Hello Robin, long time no see.”

Robin nods, shaking hands with him. “Yes, a **_very_** long time. Where’d you go off to?”

“ _Wonderland_.” Alice supplied, smiling.

Before introductions could happen, Alessia looked over to Emma, keeping her there a bit longer. “Alice, Cyrus, go back with Emma. Maybe you guys can help figure out who the hell isn’t supposed to be here.”

Emma, leaning against her bug, nods in agreement. “Actually, they may be able to help since they’re not really from the _Enchanted Forest_. Come on, I’ll tell you guys what to do on the way.” nodding, the couple rush over to the car.

The witch looks over to the group, nodding to them all. “Okay, since I’m the only person who hasn’t met everyone, I’m Alessia, and I’m a witch. Now, let’s get started in finding Little John, shall we?”

 

* * *

 

Hours within the search they finally found Little John, injured and unconscious on the forest floor. They all went to take hold of him when Alessia stopped them. Taking a deep breath, the witch felt the power inside her and held out her hands over the man. Slowly she was able to levitate Little John, exhaling with surprise and joy. Grinning at Will and Graham, the witch begun to walk in the direction of the cars, careful to keep Little John from hitting anything on the way, and making sure that she doesn’t trip on anything.

Once she got him in the bed of Charming’s truck, Robin and the rest of his Men getting in with him and holding on to Little John, They all raced towards the hospital. They were able to see that he had lost a bit of blood and that he was starting to sweat even when his skin was ice cold to the touch. Dr. Whale immediately started ordering the nurses of what he needed when Little John started to seize in the gurney, everyone, including some of the Merry Men holding him down. But when Whale went to sedate him, Little John screamed in agony and fear, a tail suddenly appearing from underneath him, confusing everyone in the room. Little John then started to scream as though he was possessed, using his tail to push everyone away from him.

Alessia was going to use her powers when the tail got her just across her jaw, Killian taking hold of her. “Bloody hell!” he cried out, frowning at the scene before him.

As Robin yelled out his name one last time the room was completely silent, Alessia slowly standing with Killian still holding on to her just in case. Before them all, standing on the gurney, was a monkey with wings…both Alessia and Will were blinking, wondering if what they were seeing was actually real and not a figment of their imagination.

“Okay, I didn’t see that coming.” Charming suddenly said.

The monkey suddenly screeched at them and flew out of the room and through the window, everyone merely staring at what just happened, too stun to move or say anything. However, it wasn’t the case for Charming, who suddenly spoke up what **_everyone_** was exactly thinking at that moment.

“What the hell was that thing?”

“Don’t look at me, I’m a doctor, not a vet.” Dr. Whale tells him.

Suddenly the monster clicked and the witch’s eyes widen. “Oh my God, you **_got_** to be kidding me!”

“What is it?” everyone asked at the same time, looking to the witch, who continued to stare at the broken window with her mouth open with shock.

“It’s a damn **_flying monkey_**!” she tells them.

“Yes, we saw that love.” Killian tells her slowly as though she weren’t comprehending the situation.

Alessia suddenly rounded on them, looking at everyone in the eye. “Seriously, you guys didn’t **_recognized_** that flying monkey?!” when they continued to merely stare at her, the witch yelled at them. “They’re from the land of **_Oz_**!” again, more blank stares, irritating the witch. “We’re dealing with the Wicked Witch of the West, damn it!”

“So what do we do now?” Graham asks carefully.

Alessia went to say something when suddenly her eyes widen. “Shit, Emma!”

The witch ran, Will, and Killian right behind her. Charming and Graham looked to Robin and his friends, letting them know that they can go back to the woods but to be careful in case there were more of the flying monkey’s hanging around to turn others into them. They two men caught up with the witch, Will, and Killian and all rode to Snow’s apartment. Alessia, with her heart pounding, was the first out of the car–not even waiting for Graham to park–and ran up the two flights of stairs, barging inside without even knocking. The woman all turned to her, Emma concerned from the fear of what she was seeing in her friend’s eyes.

“We have to talk, **_now_**!” she tells Emma.

Emma, looking back over at Henry, smiles at him, before ushering her out into the hall with Regina, Snow, Alice, and Cyrus following behind. The men finally caught up with them, standing in the small hallway and on the stairs, waiting for Emma to close the door to the apartment so that Henry didn’t hear a word of what was going on.

“I know who we’re dealing with!” was the first thing Alessia tells Emma.

“Well, who?” Regina demanded, wanting to get her memories back already.

Emma shakes her head, “Wait, what happened with Little John?”

“They’re being turned into flying monkeys.” Graham tells them.

Everyone looked stunned for a second, Snow asking, “Flying **_monkeys_**? Do you think that’s what happened to the missing dwarves too?”

Graham sighs, nodding his head. “It would explain why we haven’t found any trace of them.”

“And Neal?” Emma suddenly asked.

Charming sighs, “No sign of him either, so, yeah it’s possible.”

Emma sighs with disappointed, muttering underneath her breath, “Well, it won’t be the first flying monkey I’ve dated.” Alessia snorts at this fact, Emma looking towards her. “Who is it, Sia?”

Alessia looks from Regina to Emma, swallowing as her throat had suddenly gone dry. “It’s the Wicked Witch of the West.”

“It explains the green smoke the person disappeared in my office when we set the trap.” Regina mutters darkly, frowning.

“Seriously? She’s real too?” Emma asked confused, looking at the group around her.

Killian frowns incredulously at her. “Says the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.”

Emma gives him a look, before stating, “I don’t get it, it’s not like we’re in Kansas, why would the Wicked Witch of the West come to _Storybrooke_?”

“Well, it’s not me, I never met her.” Regina immediately tells them.

Alessia sighs, brushing a hand through her hair. “Well, there’s a reason as to why the bitch cursed us. But first we have to find out who the hell she is in _Storybrooke_ first.”

“Yeah, like that’s going to be any easy.” Emma mutters frustrated.

Alessia sighs, leaning against Graham as her eyes then strayed to Alice, Cyrus, and Will. “And we have to figure out what the hell we’re going to do with Jafar still after you three and wanting to take Will to gain more power!”

“One problem at a time, Sia.” Emma tells her, nodding. “One problem at a time.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, I've been having a hard time how to take this since end of Season 3 and how Season 4 became. Now, I hope, I've gotten how I want to take this...let me know what you guys think.

**Worlds Intertwined**

**Chapter 16**

The next morning Alessia, Emma, Will, Alice, and Cyrus met up with Graham, Killian, and Regina at Snow and Charming’s apartment. They spoke about how they were to track down the Wicked Witch of the West with everyone in _Storybrooke_ not looking like themselves, and Emma and Regina getting defensive when the topic of Henry came up. When Regina went to protect Henry, Killian spoke to the royal family of going to find the witch.

“While you guys do that,” Alessia started, looking up at Will, Alice, and Cyrus. “I think we will stay behind and start figuring out what to do with Jafar.” she sighs, looking to Emma, “With my powers completely different, I won’t be of any use or help looking for evidence at Regina’s office.”

“Agree,” Emma nods, remembering the limit of her best friend’s powers. “If we do need anything I’ll call you. Then later on, I’ll help in figuring what you need help with Jafar.”

The witch nods, grateful for Emma to understand her worried need and that she is able to read her like a book, as well as noting the tension that she held even more than usual. Ever since they came back to _Storybrooke_ something has been off with her, and it had nothing to do with the fact that everyone got cursed again or even those from _Wonderland_. It was something else and Alessia couldn’t help but feel that something terrible was coming to her, or, at least, something to **_do_** with her and her lineage.

“Since I’m staying behind, I can help you guys out too.” Graham tells them, wanting to help Alessia in any way that he can.

As well as being close to her. But he didn’t need to say that out loud as it was very obvious to the entire group. Alessia nods her agreement, grateful to have someone to keep her grounded. The group now going their separate ways, Graham took the group to the police station since both of his deputies were off investigating for another culprit. Once there, Alessia sat crossed legged on top of one of the desks, ignoring Alice and Cyrus looking around the room.

Graham stood before her while Will sat on a chair close by. “So long as Jafar doesn’t capture the Rabbit, we **_might_** just have some leverage in figuring out what to do before going back to _Wonderland_.” Alessia tells the two men seriously.

“Wait, you’re going back?” Graham asked, confused, taking a step forward but stopping.

Alessia smiles softly, “I helped half way through this journey, and both Jafar and the Red Queen had already seen me use my powers. It’s only fair that I try and help them.”

Seeing the worry look in his beautiful blue eyes, the witch slides off the desk and stands before the huntsman, placing a hand to his cheek. Graham sighs, leaning into her hand and closing his eyes. He knew that there was nothing that he can do or say for her to forget about returning to _Wonderland_ , but he also knew that she wasn’t one to back out on her word or promises. Opening his eyes, the witch sees the defiant look in his eyes, making her nervous to hear what it is that he has to say next.

“I’m coming with you.”

“No,” Alessia tells him quickly.

Graham takes her face in his hands, staring her down. “ ** _Yes_** , I am. Me and Moon are both going.”

Seeing that she was breaking down, he kissed her, Graham not wanting to leave the witch’s side as long as he did when she went to _Neverland_ with the others. Then to _Wonderland_ on her own, and the huntsman did not want something to happen to Alessia and not be able to find out because she was in another world.

“Ugh! I’m gonna be sick!” Will comments, making both Graham and Alessia flush red.

Graham leans down and gives the witch a quick, chaste kiss on the lips. “So, what’re we going to do about this Jafer guy?”

“Jafar,” Cyrus corrects him.

“He’s after the last genie, right?” Alessia tells them, getting nods of confirmation. “Why don’t we give him Will, then?”

“ ** _What?_** ” the group questioned, but more or so Will’s high pitched voice could be heard.

Alessia rolls her eyes, “Wait, listen to what I have to say!” the witch tells them, holding up her hands at them. “What every person with powers know is that you are at your **_most_** vulnerable when doing a spell of **_any_** kind. We can attack Jafar during that time!”

“That’s brilliant!” Alice said with a huge, hopeful smile.

Graham frowns, asking, “But, what if, he has a protection spell around him? Like you and Regina have done in the past?”

Alessia groans, “Didn’t think about that.”

“What if we distract him long enough to **_not_** put up a protection spell?” Will asked curiously.

The witch thinks the idea over, “That can work. Now we just need to find a way in.”

Cyrus sighs, knowing that the others might not like his idea. “There’s only one person I know that may know how to get in.”

“The Red Queen.” Alessia and Alice confirmed in unison.

“Maybe not,” Graham starts. “Moon can find a way in without trouble, we’ll just need a bit of time.”

“And we can’t leave her in that world by herself.” Alessia whispers, thinking.

“But if any one of us goes with her, we’ll be detected right off the bat.” Will tells her.

Alessia sighs, shoving a hand through her hair. “What about the White Rabbit?”

“No,” Alice tells her right away. “I don’t want him to get captured again.”

The witch nods, thinking over the other possibilities that they can get into the Red Queen’s castle. Suddenly Alessia’s phone rang, the woman taking it out from her back pocket. She didn’t even check who it was that was calling her as she swiped the green phone on the screen. What she heard on the other line, however, made the headache that she was pushing off turn into a migraine. She thought back to her past and how easier it was to **_help_** those she cared about when there were too many people she cared about needing help.

“Yeah?”

_“Sia! I’ve found something–”_

_“We, love. **We**.”_

The witch rolled her eyes–and no doubt Emma did as well–before Emma continued. _“Come to the edge of the forest, we’re getting David. We also have Regina with us.”_

“On my way.”

Alessia looks to Graham, “We gotta go. You guys stay put and keep coming up with ideas.” she takes a few steps before looking back at Will, “Don’t **_leave_**!”

* * *

 

Alessia didn’t even let Graham stop the car when she shoved out of the vehicle as she saw a dark figure looming over Charming. She was about to blast it with her powers when it suddenly disappeared. The witch was cautious, looking around as she made her way towards the Prince, who was on his knees on the floor. She took hold of her gun, taking off the safety, standing near the older man, trying to feel any sort of magic that could still be lingering around.

“David! Are you okay?” Graham asked as he came up next to Alessia.

He merely nods, sighing as he finally got his breath back. They heard Emma’s car come to a stop–the witch making a note to let her friend know that she needed new breaks–and slowly put her gun away. She felt the presences of darkness, not evil, but just pure darkness and the witch had to wonder what the hell it was as it was making her uncomfortable.

“David! Are you okay?” Emma asked as the trio finally came up to them.

“Well, where is she?” Regina asked.

Alessia shook her head, “It wasn’t the Wicked Witch.”

“Then who was it? You look whiter than a fresh sail.” Killian comments to Charming.

Charming sighs, slowly coming to his feet. “Myself.”

“Come again?” Killian asks confused as was everyone else.

“It’s the witch.” Regina says bitterly, frowning with disapproval, “She’s toying with us.”

Charming nods, “Did you guys find where she might be hiding?”

“Farmhouse. And we think it’s hers.” Killian tells them.

Alessia frowns, turning towards the road. “Then let’s end this once and for all!”

David nods in agreement, following after the other girl. “Let’s send that witch back to OZ.”

“Sia? **_Sia_**?” Graham jogged to take hold of her arm and stopping her. “What the hell is the matter with you?”

Alessia sighs, shaking her head, looking around the area, her hold on her weapon tightening. “I feel something that doesn’t belong here and I don’t like it…” Emma frowned at her, wondering what it was that she was talking about. “I don’t know, maybe I’m just on edge with all that’s going on and trying to find this stupid witch of OZ.”

“On that note,” Killian started, looking to Charming. “Any particular reason she would send a demon who looks like you?

Charming shakes his head, confused. “No idea. It was just there, wearing my face, harping on my deepest fears.”

Both Alessia and Regina frowned, turning to look at Charming. It was Regina who had asked, “It **_knew_** your deepest fears?”

“Yeah, things I never told anyone, not even Mary Margret.” Charming tells them, looking between the two women. “It wasn’t until I admitted them that I was able to defeat it by stabbing it with the hilt of my sword.”

“W-where is it–your sword?” Regina asked, looking worried as was Alessia.

Charming sighs, looking back to where they came from before looking back at them. “That’s the strange part. After I killed it, the hilt–it disappeared…”

Alessia sighs, looking to Regina, who was looking back at her. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” the witch asked, feeling the pit of her stomach start to tie in knots.

“I wish I wasn’t, but yes, I think I am.” Regina responded.

“Well, what’s that mean, then?” Killian asked, looking more concerned.

Regina looks to the pirate. “When we face our deepest fears, our true courage comes out. When you used the hilt of your sword to vanquish your fears, your courage transferred into it.”

“Then why’d it disappear?” Charming asked, confused.

Regina shook her head, “It didn’t disappear. She took it.”

“Hang on.” Emma started, looking even more confused. “The wicked witch **_stole_** his courage?”

“Well, a symbol of it, at least.” Regina sighs, looking to a worried Alessia, “And symbols can be powerful totems.”

“What is she going to do with it?” Emma asked, looking between her friend and her son’s other mother.

“That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it?” Regina states, looking just as worried as the witch.

Alessia exhales, shoving a hand though her hair. “I hope she’s not doing what I think she’s doing, but first let’s just capture the damn witch and send her and her monkey flying back to OZ and **_then_** stop what I hope she’s thinking of doing.” she muttered angrily, walking towards the cars once again. 

* * *

The drive to the farm was a quite one. Alessia was on edge and her mind was thinking back to what she was feeling in the woods. Only once had she felt such pure darkness and the witch prayed that her father’s old covenant was coming to get her–whether for revenge or to corrupt her, Alessia wasn’t sure. Of course, all this pent up frustration could help their group in capturing the witch from OZ as her powers were also connected to her emotions. Something that she hated while growing up. Coming to a stop a mile from the house, the group got out and started following both Emma and Killian, both women having their weapons out.

As they got closer to a storm cellar, Emma looked up at Killian before looking at the others, stating, “That lock. It wasn’t busted before.”

She holds her weapon at the ready, Killian unsheathing his sword. Alessia already held her own weapon in her right hand, leaving her left at the ready in case she needed to use her magic. Hopefully it would work on the witch from OZ, as it was possible that their magic could be different from that of the _Enchanted Forest_ as well.

“Ready?” Emma questioned, getting ready for her father to open the door.

When nothing came out, Emma looked slightly confused, but still at the ready. Hating all this uneasiness, Alessia looked around their surroundings, feeling a set of eyes upon her this time around. Graham placing a hand on her shoulder brought the witch out of her thoughts and to what they were doing and what was first the most important.

“So far, so good.” Killian tells them.

Emma starts to go in first, not straying her eyes from what was in front of her. “Everyone, stay alert. Come on.”

Charming goes after his daughter, followed by Alessia, then Regina, who mutters, “There’s definitely dark magic here.” Graham and Killian take up the rear, Killian not seeming all that concerned at the moment. Feeling what Regina was talking about, the witch tried her hardest not to be tempted of the magic. She may not have the darkness inside her any more, but such dark power, dark magic, would always be attracted to her no matter what. Just the tiniest bit of darkness can re-spark that which was no longer there.

“Can you feel it?” Regina asked, though she was mostly asking Alessia.

She takes a deep breath, nodding. “Yeah. It’s making me sick, actually.”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Whatever I feel, it’s not good.” Emma answers confused before she looks at a lock on a cage then up at her father. “What would the Wicked Witch keep in a cage, monkeys?”

“No, not monkey’s.” Charming tells her, turning on the single light bulb before reaching down to the floor, everyone staring at the spinning wheel. “Now, how many people do we know who can spin straw into gold?”

“Rumpelstiltskin.” Emma whispered.

“Son of a bitch is alive.” Alessia muttered, looking to Graham then over to Emma.

“Question is, why does the Wicked Witch have him?” Emma questioned, looking over to Alessia.


End file.
